As Long As We Both Shall Live
by Novindalf
Summary: Sequel to Till Death Do Us Part / AU fic where events of S2 finale were different. Robin and Marian are reunited, but what remains in store for them back home in sunny Sherwood? Chapter 18 now up! DISCLAIMER: I own no part of RH. Please read and review!
1. Arms of an Angel

As Long As We Both Shall Live

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) _Till Death Do Us Part_. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisborne, and new characters. Contains major Series 2 spoilers.**

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq (I'm only mentioning these two or I'll spoil it for you).**

**- DO NOT READ AHEAD IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS FOR SERIES 2 -**

***

Chapter 1 – The Arms of an Angel

**This is the sequel to _Till Death Do Us Part_, but can be read on its own as an alternate universe fic where Marian didn't die in the Holy Land and she, Will, Djaq and a new character called Nicholas have just returned to Nottinghamshire. It's best if you read my first fanfic though =D.**

**If you have read _Till Death Do Us Part_ then this chapter follows on immediately afterwards; if not, then Robin and Marian have just been reunited.**

**DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately I can't claim Robin Hood as my own – the programme belongs to the BBC. I own nothing to do with BBC Robin Hood, but I do own some characters (Nicholas and family, for example) and I would appreciate it if you do not steal them. If you do, I will be forced to hunt you down and punish you severely. As far as I know, I created the plot of this fanfic too.**

***

Robin didn't notice the rain beating down against them as they held each other for the first time in months. Neither did he hear the roaring of the waterfall, nor feel the spray landing on their faces. He didn't notice the aroma of the wet forest as they breathed in the scent of each other. No thoughts for the waiting gang passed through his mind, only thoughts of here and now. They say time is the one true healer. When one is in the arms of an angel, time is frozen, and heaven comes alive.

_It's good to dream._ And when the dream does not force you to wake alone, without the one you love, then a dream will never be enough again.

Were she not in his arms, his hand over her heart, he would not believe it. Not even she could cheat death again. Not even an angel. But when angels cry, everything changes. _Till Death Do Us Part_. Not even death can stop love – it only postpones it.

***

"I do not understand this at all," admitted Robin. "I have dreamed ever since it happened, that you were still alive, but always woke to find my arms empty."

"It's good to dream," replied Marian, wrapping her arms even more tightly around him and resting her head on his shoulder as she exhaled deeply.

***

"Let's get you to the camp," said Robin. "You may not have noticed, but we are both soaked." Only now that he mentioned it, did Marian feel the icy chill of the rain. "Mind you, I must say I like your dress much better now," he added, after noticing its wet folds clinging to her figure. Marian rolled her eyes. This was Robin, back to his old self, and she would not have it any other way.

"I think we should go to Knighton first," she replied. "Will and Djaq are waiting."

"They're here too?" Robin was thrilled at the prospect of seeing them again.

"And I may have been gone too long for their liking," fretted Marian.

***

"Where is she?!" Djaq paused in her anxious pacing of the barn floor to direct her worried question at the other two. "I _knew_ we should not have let her go alone! This was bound to happen!"

"We will wait a little longer before we go and look for her," stated Will. "Knowing Marian, she will not want to be disturbed when she is upset. If she is not back within ten minutes, then we will go after her." Will's calm voice did nothing to soothe Djaq's worries. A knock came at the door of the barn, and Will cautiously peered out through a crack between two of the planks of wood that made up the flimsy door. "Marian," he announced, his relief evident. He pulled back the wooden beam he had blocked the door off with, and opened the door to reveal, not one, but two people.

"Robin!" The two men embraced heartily and exchanged thumps on the back, before Djaq took her turn to embrace Robin, and then reprimand Marian.

"You were gone for ages! What happened? And how did you find Robin?"

"Waterfall… rain… roses," muttered Marian. It sounded like nonsense to Will and Djaq, so they dismissed it with raised eyebrows and exchanged a look that clearly showed they thought Marian had gone mad.

"Oh Robin, this is Nicholas Granger." Will indicated Nicholas who had, until then, been skulking in the shadows by the barn wall. "He fought in the King's Private Guard." Nicholas and Robin shook hands.

"I have heard much about you on the way here," said Nicholas. "And the King sends his regards."

"Nicholas has been our guide for the long journey here," added Djaq.

"So will you be returning to the Holy Land now?" asked Robin.

"I am now retired from my services in the Holy Land. I had hoped to be reunited with my family in Sussex, but I think I may be able to help you and your gang fight this Sheriff of Nottingham before I do so." Robin looked surprised; he had evidently not been expecting this.

"Our fight is dangerous…"

"More dangerous than fighting the Turk in the Holy Land? I think I can manage. Besides, my daughters would be proud if they could say their father fought with Robin Hood."

"You have children?" Now it was Marian's turn to be surprised; she had never thought to ask Nicholas about his family.

"Two daughters – Lauren and Megan. Lauren is now twenty-two and happily married, and Megan is seventeen."

"And your wife?" asked Will.

"My wife died in childbirth eight years ago. Megan lives with her sister and her brother-in-law."

"I am sorry," said Will. Nicholas smiled grimly.

"What about my suggestion? Will you have me in your gang?" Robin contemplated the matter.

"You have safely delivered my wife and friends back, so I trust you, and a new face is always an advantage against the Sheriff. Welcome to the gang."

***

"How exactly did you find Robin?" Djaq asked Marian as they followed him to the camp.

"I ran into him at my father's grave." Marian said no more and the subject was dropped, falling into an awkward silence until Will noted the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Why aren't we headed to the cave?" he asked Robin.

"Did you think we would stay there after half the Sheriff's men know where it is, thanks to Pitts?" Will, and the rest, had forgotten that the late physician had betrayed them and led the Sheriff to their doorstop.

"Where is your new camp then?"

"Ah…" Robin grinned mischievously. "That, my friend, is for me to know and for you to find out."

"We are going to find out in a few minutes anyway, so you may as well tell us now," replied Marian.

"Impatient are we?" mocked Robin.

After a few minutes they stopped at the foot of a rocky cliff-face, and Robin turned to face the others.

"Here we are," he announced. Will glanced at the empty surroundings, while Marian eyed Robin with suspicion.

"_This_ is your new camp?" asked Djaq incredulously.

"Where is everyone?" inquired Will.

"Where is _everything_?" added Marian. "This is no camp."

"Actually, you may want to look up." Robin pointed above his head. Nestling among the middle branches of a large oak tree was a platform.

"That's it? It's tiny!" exclaimed Will.

"You cannot be serious," said Djaq. Robin raised one eyebrow, and produced the end of a rope ladder from behind a cluster of bushes. He gestured for them to climb up the ladder, which they then did so. The platform was only slightly larger than anticipated – about three paces across in either direction – but it still wasn't large enough to accommodate a camp. However from below, what they hadn't realised was that it connected to a network of sturdy branches, which formed a pathway into a tunnelled cave high in the cliff-face.

"How did you find this?" asked Will, stunned.

"We'd been using the top of the cliff for a look-out post, then we noticed the cave, and the branches that lead to it. All we had to do was build this platform, and make a rope ladder," explained Robin. He showed the others the rope hidden among slightly higher branches from the platform to the cave – a handhold along the precarious trail of boughs – and they made their way across the bridge.

The entrance to the cave, hidden from the ground, was only just high enough for a man to stand in – indeed, Little John would have to stoop rather uncomfortably – but was quite airy, not the musty enclosure Marian had imagined. As she followed Robin into the tunnel that extended from the entrance, she noticed the ceiling was getting higher, and the passage wider. Eventually it turned a sharp corner to the right, but before they continued, Robin signalled for them to wait.

"Marian, Nicholas – stay here. Will, Djaq – with me," he whispered.

"Why?" asked Marian.

"Think about how I took the news that you are alive. I want to break it to them gently so they don't react like I did." Marian nodded her head in contentment – she did not want to have to go through Robin's reaction again, and multiplied over. Robin, Will and Djaq padded softly round the corner of the cave. Marian snuck up as close as possible to the turn, in order to catch the conversation.

***

"Where have you been?" was Much's exclamation at Robin's appearance. "You should tell us before you go wandering off like that."

"Oh, will you shut up?" Allan's familiar groan.

"I went for a walk," said Robin simply, grinning from ear to ear.

"We know that is only a euphemism," stated Much. "Where have you really been?"

"Just leave it alright?" grumbled Allan, before turning to Robin. "Whoa Robin, you look like you're in a good mood," he stated. "I'm not being funny – you look better than you have done in ages." Much contemplated this.

"Actually master, you do look better. I haven't seen you this way since … well, since the Holy Land." Much didn't notice Allan and John's warning glares until it was too late. Much trailed off into silence. Robin took the rare opportunity.

"Will and Djaq have returned," he announced, to the delighted looks on the other three's faces.

"Master? Where are they then?"

"Not being funny, but didn't they decide to stay in the Holy Land."

"How do you know?" Robin raised his hands for silence.

"Right here." He gestured back to the shadows, where Will and Djaq had been hiding.

"Will! Djaq! What are you doing here?!" boomed Little John, as he smothered them both in a huge embrace.

"Thought you'd come back to sunny Sherwood, eh mate?" Allan clapped Will on the back, before receiving a kiss on the cheek and an elated beam from Djaq.

"And there's something else too," Robin hesitantly added. "Marian's alive." Three ecstatic faces dropped lower than the floor as they looked at Robin in pity.

"Robin…" began John gently. "I'm sorry, Marian died in the Holy Land. We were all there–"

"No," interrupted Robin. "We were wrong – she didn't die."

"Look, even though we never saw her buried," began Allan, "we all saw her die. Not even Marian's lucky enough to escape death twice."

"You have had another dream, haven't you?" Much stated. "Like you did when we were fighting in the war. I am sorry master, but Marian is not alive."

"I think you'll find she is," countered Will.

"Not you too…" Allan rolled his eyes. "Look mate, we all saw–"

"No…"

"There is no '_no_', Robin. You cannot deny…"

"She is alive!" Djaq added her voice to the fray. "She has travelled with us for the last few months – do you think we have imagined that as well?"

"It is not possible–"

"Not probable," corrected Djaq. "Trust me, this is very possible, even if it is nothing short of a miracle."

"I do not believe even a miracle could bring someone back from the dead a second time," said Much.

"What would make you believe she is alive?" asked Robin.

"If I saw her with my own eyes," replied John.

"Very well…" Robin turned to the shadowy tunnel. "Marian!" he called. "Nicholas!"

"Wha–" Much was speechless as Marian entered the light of the chamber. John and Allan were similarly stunned.

"But that's…" "How…" "You're…" "Marian…?" "That's not…" – the three struggled incoherently to string a sentence together.

"I am definitely alive," Marian stated clearly. "Unless you think your minds are playing tricks on you all."

"Marian? How're you alive?" Allan was the first to utter a full phrase.

"I was very lucky," she shrugged.

"I'll say!" exclaimed Much, before rushing up to her and almost knocking her over in a hug. "You have no _idea_ the torture we have been through with my master; he refused to do anything or even _eat_ for such a long time, and then when he did finally do something he walked around like a silent ghost and made us all go mad!"

"It's good to see you too Much," laughed Marian.

"Don't ever get stabbed again," ordered Allan seriously, before beaming with exhilaration at the reunited gang, and stepping aside to let John welcome her back. He swept Marian into a huge bear hug, and she held tight to the gang member who had always been like a father figure to her.

"Welcome home," he said.

***

"Hemlock?! The Sheriff tried to poison you with hemlock?!" exclaimed Robin, outraged.

"I _had_ tried to kill him…" Marian began to explain, but then Djaq continued with the recount of Marian's survival. Marian shut her mouth and let Djaq do the talking – she did know more about it after all, as she had spoken to the Saracen physician who had treated her.

"So it was just like last time?" hazarded Allan.

"Pretty much," agreed Will. "Throw in the Holy Land, a couple of roses, a locket, a Saracen father and daughter, King Richard, Nicholas and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and you've got it." At the mention of Queen Eleanor, Much jabbed John in the side with his elbow.

"How's it going the, Big Bear," he said, in a pathetic imitation of the Queen's regal manner. John hit his arms away, sank back against the wall, and exhaled deeply.

"So you and Marian are cousins?" Robin looked to Will for confirmation – he nodded. "And you and Djaq are engaged…" Djaq flushed a pretty hue of cherry-red as Will took her hand and showed the gang the engagement ring. "All I can say is it took you two long enough!"

"What about you and Marian?" objected Djaq. "It took you months to admit your feelings for each other, and it was only on her deathbed that you finally married! I think the two of you are worse than we are!"

"Well, they always knew it really," commented Allan. "He just took a damn long time to pop the question. And even then it wasn't in the most romantic place – surrounded by guards in a tree wasn't it?" Robin ignored Allen's jibes with a roll of the eyes, which only encouraged him further. "And getting married while at death's door wasn't so smart either. Honestly…"

"You? Honest?" Much interrupted with a snort. Allan glared at him.

"…I reckon out of all of us here, I have been the most truthful with my loves." The entire gang, including Nicholas, burst into laughter at this.

"You would declare your love to a tree if you thought you could gain something from it!" cried Will.

"Jealous of my many talents?" Allan asked jokingly.

"Not at all," said Robin. "In fact, I am surprised all your women haven't banded together yet and given you a thrashing to remember."

"What can I say? I'm good with girls."

Robin rubbed his forehead, making odd shadows appear on the wall behind him. The fire in the centre of the cavern was now subdued to little more than a handful of glowing embers, but the bright torches stationed around the vast space cast a warm, orange light around. Djaq instinctively snuggled up to Will, both of them ignoring the inappropriate and highly suggestive gestures and comments coming from Allan's direction - he had had rather a lot of ale over the past few minutes and was starting to slur his words as he spoke to Much.

"Not bein' funny but you'n me'n Niklas'n John're all on're lonesome now - Will's got Djaq, an' Robin's got Marian." He indicated the couples. Allan's words caused Robin to glance at his wife - she was fast asleep and clearly had been for some time. Robin, careful not to disturb her, hefted her off the ground and carried her to his one of the many small caverns that now served a separate 'rooms' of the camp. He gently placed her on his wooden bunk, and pulled a blanket over her sleeping frame, before kissing her forehead.

"Goodnight my love," he whispered, and then settled down to sleep on the floor, dreaming of raindrops on roses…

***

**A virtual cookie for the first reviewer! Actually, a virtual cookie for all reviewers, but the biggest one in the world goes to the first to review. (I am hinting shamelessly here so please realise that before I completely dispose of my dignity.)**

**Hope you like the first chapter of this fic; please let me know what you think. To make things clear, I did actually come across a place with a bridge of branches like in this chapter, so it _is_ perfectly possible. The whole reunion thing may seem a bit out of character – I have no idea how the rest of the gang would react to the news that Marian is alive so I've sort of strung a couple of sentences together in the hope that it works! Hopefully you all enjoy it. Please review.**

**I know I did promise that this chapter would be up in early September, but I kept on delaying it and delaying it due to my much increased work-load, but now I'm ill :( and have finally found time to post it, so here we are.**

**xxx Nia**

**P.S. I am still 6 away from my target of 100 reviews for _Till Death Do Us Part_ – anyone who would help me achieve said target would be very much worshipped… by the virtual cookies =D**

**P.P.S Please note that this fanfic contains many references to its prequel - in order to understand them, you may need to read that first.**


	2. With Every Heartbeat

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) **_**Till Death Do Us Part**_**. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisborne. Contains spoilers. **

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq (I'm only mentioning these two or I'll spoil it for you).**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Robin Hood or anything linked to it; that belongs to the BBC (the dear old Beeb who killed off Marian *curses at them loudly*), much as I hate to admit it. I do however, own Nicholas and any other characters I decide to introduce, so please do not steal.**

*******

Chapter 2 – With Every Heartbeat

She opened her heavy eyelids to an unfamiliar view – the low ceiling of a cave. Even with eyes hazy from sleep, it was possible to make out each individual ridge and ripple in the dark stone loitering overhead. She stretched drowsily and lifted her head to look at her surroundings; she was in a small, low bed with a thin straw mattress – the cause for her sore back and discomfort – that was positioned at the back of a small cavern. On the floor there was what looked like the remains of a meal – a few crumbs in a bowl, next to a beaker of what smelled like ale. As Marian gazed around, she locked eyes with Robin, who looked away hastily.

"Why were you staring at me?" Marian asked.

"I was watching you sleep," he muttered softly, guiltily almost, but unable to make up an excuse.

"Why didn't you wake me? It must be late morning at least."

"You looked at peace, for once. I did not want to disturb that."

Marian raised her eyebrows and glanced at him critically. "You look terrible," she said. "Did you not sleep at all?"

"Of course I did," replied Robin, too quickly. Truth was, he had lain awake all night, staring at her in the flickering candlelight, absorbing the tiny indicators that she was alive: the stray lock of hair resting over her face and stirring with every breath; the occasional deep sigh that escaped her parted lips; the blood vessel at her throat throbbing gently with every heartbeat; and the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.

An awkward silence had crept up between them. Sensing this, Robin shielded his fears for her behind a cocky statue once again.

"I must say Marian, I do like the look of you in my bed…" joked Robin.

Marian threw the beaker at him, and then leaned back against the wall, which served as a headboard. She was grateful to him to have broken the uncomfortable hush that had descended upon them, even if it meant he had to resort to crude innuendo.

"Where is everyone?" There was a marked absence of noise coming form the collection of caverns making up the new camp.

"Gone on the rounds; it is midday already. You must have been exhausted, but that's hardly surprising." Marian feigned innocence. "I know what you were doing during those months coming back here; training. According to Will, there was not a day that passed where you were not sparring or fighting, or twirling around-"

"I do _not_ twirl," interrupted Marian. Robin ignored her.

"-around the camp and doing absurd rolls and jumps like some…" He broke off at Marian's glare.

"Like some what? Some fool? Would you rather I am unprepared for fighting with the gang?"

"Who said anything about you fighting with the gang?" asked Robin hastily.

"I have been helping the poor for three years longer than you have. You are not about to change that."

"You've been stabbed!" exclaimed Robin, exasperated.

"Four months ago! By this time last year I was doing just as much training, albeit within the confinements of house arrest at the castle."

"That was different!"

"How so?! Whether you like it or not, I am still the Nightwatchman; I still have to do what I can to help the people of Nottingham. And since that is clearly a precarious situation, I need all the practice I can get. And that includes all my _twirling_." Her last word was laced with venom, and Robin received the full blow of it. He decided to take a different approach.

"I just do not want to lose you again," he murmured. Fully aware of his change of tactics, Marian remained still, her arms folded and her face stony. "Please do not make me have to go through that again."

"If I am prepared, there will be no need for you to go through that," she insisted, slightly more gentle now. Seeing he was about to protest, she added, "No, do not argue with me Robin. Let me finish. You and the others all train and practice so that when the time comes, you can fight and defend yourselves. I have done that also, only your training seems to be more effective than mine; Djaq and Will joined in sometimes when I sparred with Nicholas, who seems to be the only man who will not treat me different because I am a woman."

"That is not true," insisted Robin.

"Isn't it? John treats me like a daughter, and is more inclined to talk to me in a fatherly way than anything else; Allan – though he would never admit it – is too scared to be beaten by a woman that he refused to fight me even when he found out I am the Nightwatchman; Will even, is guarded when we fight – he holds back not just on me, but on Djaq too; Much would never do anything without asking you first; and you are too paranoid about me getting hurt that you will not even let me join your gang properly." Sensing she was right, but unwilling to admit it, Robin lapsed into silence for a while, until he managed to swallow his concern enough to reply.

"How about we compromise? I promise to not hold back against you when we fight, and you will train with the gang…"

"Go on."

"…and in return you will agree to my plan." _Not another one._ Marian rolled her eyes.

"That depends on the plan."

"What plan is this eh?" Robin and Marian jumped at the sudden appearance of Allan; they had been so engrossed in their conversation that neither had heard the others return.

"Come on." Robin helped Marian up. "I will tell you all at once."

***

In the main cave, Much was desperately trying to defend his notorious squirrel stew amidst comments from all directions.

"Djaq, you helped me cook it once," he pleased. "You know it isn't squirrel!"

"Not bein' funny, but Djaq can't cook to save 'er life! How's she gonna know the difference between cooking chicken and cooking squirrel?"

"I didn't feel much like cooking," said Djaq. "It was more like an explosion of Greek fire for me."

"Didn't look or taste like chicken either," added Will.

"Well say what you want, but we all know that you would starve without me to cook for you all," protested Much. "Djaq is clearly a rubbish cook, and so are the rest of you, so without me… well, you would all be thinner than any chicken-"

"-squirrel-"

"-any _chicken_," Much glared at Allan, "that you ate." Robin decided to intervene quickly.

"Right lads," he started, "and ladies," he fluttered his eyes at Much, to the immense amusement of Allan, "what did you find in the villages?"

"Well, everybody knows about your return now," replied Djaq.

"That is to be expected," shrugged Robin. "Is there any news of our _friend_?"

"Friend?" Marian was confused, until she interpreted the sarcasm in Robin's voice. "Guy? Why do you…?" She suddenly realised. "Let me guess; revenge." One glance at the gang confirmed her suspicions.

"Robin-"

"What did you hear?" pressed Robin quickly.

"Er… we spoke to Thornton," began Will awkwardly. "Locksley Manor is empty at the moment, except for him and the other staff. Gisborne hasn't come back. And we think we've found out why." He hesitated, so John took over.

"Supposedly, the Sheriff and Gisborne are in London, held by Prince John. Either they are already dead, or are awaiting execution for failing the prince. There's a new Sheriff; another Black Knight."

"I do not believe this," stated Much. Everyone turned to stare at him.

"You think Thornton would lie to us?" asked Robin.

"No, I just do not think that Prince John would kill his right-hand man. Gisborne maybe, but surely not the Sheriff? And another thing; we only heard this rumour for the first time today."

"So?" asked John.

"So," explained Much, "as soon as everyone knows Robin's back, the Sheriff and Gisborne are dead? I do not think that is true. I think it is a," he paused to think of the word.

"A coincidence?" prompted Marian.

"Exactly; a coincidence. Rather too much of a coincidence." Much could see that Robin was deeply considering this; his head was bowed and he was rubbing his forehead in concentration.

"Master? Remember how you did not believe me about Carter? I was right then, wasn't I?"

"You were," agreed Robin. "And I think you may be right now as well." Much sat back, contented. After a few minutes' silence, Robin spoke again. "I have a plan," he announced, but after one questioning glance from Marian he corrected himself. "Well, half a plan anyway. We need to make sure Gisborne and the Sheriff are alive, and to do that we need to go to London, or get them to come to us."

"How do we do that?" asked Will

"The Nightwatchman," stated Robin. "That will grab their attention, and then curiosity will draw them to Nottingham.

"Then what?" asked Allan. "Obviously if they're not alive then that's it and problem sorted, but if they are alive what do we do?"

"We pass judgement on them ourselves." The meaning of his words was clear. Either way, Robin wanted them dead.

"No, you heard what would happen to Nottingham if the Sheriff dies. You cannot cause the death of hundreds of people just to get revenge," protested Djaq.

"Gisborne's death would not cause that," insisted Robin. "And it's him who deserves to die most."

"So you would kill him without a second thought? Not even wait to see if he has changed after … what happened?" Marian spoke up at last.

"He tried to kill you!" exclaimed Robin. "How can you not understand that?!"

"Yes, he tried to kill me," agreed Marian. "But I provoked him. I insulted him, I affronted him, I taunted him. I told him I would never be with him, and that I love _you_. Of course he would be angry. Only he regretted it."

"How would you know?" scorned Robin. "How could anyone believe that of a _monster_?" He spat the last word out.

"I saw it in his eyes. I saw every emotion rushing through his eyes when I fell to the ground. And the only emotions there were shock at what he'd done, regret, and remorse. He is a human being, and yet you would condemn him without giving him a chance."

"You are being a fool," shot Robin. "He has stabbed you twice-"

"He did not know it was me the first time, and I have explained my thoughts on the second time," interrupted Marian.

"-he tried to kill the king-"

"Under the Sheriff's orders!"

"-and he is a sadistic coward, yet you still defend him!"

"You have seen only one side of him Robin. He saved my life many times over, he defied the Sheriff to allow me freedom during my arrest, he showed concern for my father, he protected me from Winchester-"

"We were about to do that ourselves!" protested Robin.

"-and he loves me. You of all people should know what love can do to a person," finished Marian

"What would you have us do?" asked Will quickly, before the argument could turn into a bloodbath between Robin and Marian.

"Give Guy one last chance to show which side he has chosen. If he sides with Prince John and the Sheriff, then I will not stop you from serving your 'judgement', but if he can change, hold a sentence until the King is back and he can be tried in a fair court, where I will speak for him."

"How do you propose to find out which side he's chosen?" asked Robin, now much calmer.

"I have a plan…"

*******

**Oooh, what is this mysterious plan of Marian's?**

**Response to reviewers:**

**Feline-x – *sends over HUUUUGE cookie* Enjoy! Thankyou very much, and yeah I love the drunk Allan too =D I am in fact thinking of getting the whole gang drunk at one point, but I may do that as a one-shot fic instead. What do you think?**

**candyflossgirl – Yup you sure can; all reviewers get a virtual cookie, it just happened to be that the first reviewer got the biggest one.**

**Tortall Tribe Freak – I cheered too, at all the great reviews I'm getting =D**

**ReaderADV – Ooh, thankyou so much! I feel very honoured. And you'll have to go with a chocolate chip cookie, as I have no idea what a thin mint one is**

**Genevieve05 – I realise that writing in character has never been my strong point, but I did make them intentionally OOC in Chapter 1 because of what they've all been through and everything. I'll try my best to make it all more in character, but I can't promise anything. Thanks for the comment about the camp too =D**


	3. Cold Feet

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) **_**Till Death Do Us Part**_**. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisborne. Contains spoilers. **

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq (I'm only mentioning these two or I'll spoil it for you).**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Robin Hood or anything linked to it; that belongs to the BBC (the dear old Beeb who killed off Marian *curses at them loudly*), much as I hate to admit it. I do however, own Nicholas and any other characters I decide to introduce, so please do not steal.**

***

Chapter 3 – Cold Feet

"No," said Robin fiercely. "I cannot let you do that; I will not allow it."

"You do not _control_ me Robin," replied Marian icily. "I can do what I like."

"I am your husband; society dictates that a woman should obey her husband."

"Since when have you cared about society? You – we – are outlaws; the rules do not apply here. And as far as you are concerned, they never did; even before you went to war, our courtship was hardly conventional; almost every night you would sneak into my bedroom at unorthodox hours." She regarded him cautiously. "So what is your real reason? Do you think that because I am a woman I cannot look after myself? Or do you think I have feelings for Gisborne?" Marian was now standing, livid, leaning over Robin, hands on hips, and glaring as she shouted. "Because it is the first, then I will hurt you so badly in such a place that you will never again be recognisable as a man…" The men present all winced in unison. "…and if it is the second, I care because he is a human being, just like the rest of us-"

"Hardly," scorned Robin.

"Will you please just let me finish?!" snapped Marian. "I am not even asking you to spare his life, only to ensure him a fair trail, and only that if he proves himself worthy of it." Robin still hesitated, so Marian added, "What happened to your famous justice? What happened to second chances?" She looked at Allan.

"That is not the same, Marian. He-"

"-tried to kill the King – and me. I _know_. Roy tried to kill you once, remember? Allan betrayed the gang…"

"This had better be going somewhere," muttered the latter.

"…and God help me, _I_ have wanted to kill you before because of your smug arrogance and your abrupt cheek, and how you left me to go to war, but people _change_. People regret their actions, which I what I saw in Guy. If given the chance, I believe he can change his ways, but if I am wrong, then do what you want with him. I would _help_ you even. But I would not forgive you if I thought he died wrongly."

"Marian…" Robin gritted his teeth in anguish.

"Please." The single word tugged on his heartstrings unbearably.

***

"I think I agree with Marian." Djaq spoke for the first time. "Everyone should have a second chance." She locked eyes with Alan.

"I agree," he said. "I owe a heck of a lot to second chances." He dropped his gaze from Marian's grateful face to the floor, waiting for the others' response.

Will pressed his fist to his forehead in torment. "I do not honestly think he can change," he said finally, "but I do not agree with execution without trial. The Sheriff, I would gladly kill myself, but since Marian's said she saw his regret, I am unsure about Gisborne. I would feel better if I knew for certain he couldn't change, than just killing someone who feels remorse. I agree with Marian."

"Well, I for one, do not," said Much. "After all we've been through – after all he's done – I think he's had more than his fair share of chances."

"I agree with Much," said John fiercely. "He deserves to die."

Only Robin and Nicholas had not spoken.

"You first," insisted Robin, as he stood up and walked away from the gang; one hand clenched into a fist at his side, and the other running apprehensively through his hair.

_Me?_ Nicholas was initially surprised to be included in this debate. "I cannot think past the fact that he tried to kill the king. That is treason, and having only just retired from trying to protect the King's neck, I cannot overlook that." He looked apologetically at Marian. "I am sorry, but I do not agree with you." She nodded understandingly, and then looked to Robin for his view. If he denied her plan, then there would be an equal number on each side, possibly more in Robin's favour as he was the leader. But if he decided to agree to her wish… well, Gisborne would have one last chance. This was something Robin was only too well aware of as he made his decision.

"_If_ I am to agree to your plan," he said, "then there are some conditions. Firstly, we wait and prepare for as long as possible before we carry it out; we train, and we plan, so it is as safe as possible. Secondly, someone is there at all times, in case it collapses. Thirdly, obviously we have to lure Gisborne and the Sheriff here to start with, and we will use the Nightwatchman to do that, but you will not be the bait. One of us will dress as the Nightwatchman instead." As much as she wanted to protest, Marian kept her mouth shut. She needed Robin to agree to her plan. "And finally…" Robin took a deep breath. When he spoke again, it was much softer. "…you answer me one question."

"Which is?"

"Come with me and I will tell you." Robin led Marian out to the opening of the cave; he did not want the others to hear the reply.

"What is this question then?" Marian asked.

"If you believe in second chances, why didn't you give me one when I came back?"

Marian inhaled slowly; this was the one question she had been dreading. "When you left me, I was just a girl. I was infatuated. Like any other girl, I would dream of the perfect wedding. Having the perfect husband. For me, I wanted somewhere I could also be myself. Not Lady Marian, a young noblewoman who enjoys embroidery, pretty dresses and keeps her nose out of the world of man, but the real me; the one who enjoyed fighting, and mud, and archery, and everything a noble-girl shouldn't." Memories of their rough banter flooded Robin's mind. "My hopes for a perfect life were sky-high; we were besotted with each other, and we would be very happy together. And then out of the blue you spring _that_ on me. The news that you are going to fight in the war with your King. Fight in a war that you may not come home from. My dream was shattered, and with it my heart. Remember that I was a love-struck fool at the time. Remember how I begged you to stay. Once you had gone, I gave up. I cried only once – after I returned my engagement ring – but I simply gave up. For many months I refused all company, even my father's. Eventually I stopped eating, I refused to go outside my room, I did not speak to anyone. I thought the pain would fade over time, but there was nothing left to dim it, so it only got worse. At one point I considered taking a knife to my heart just to end the unbearable torture. I became so ill that one day I just collapsed; I had no strength to stand." Unconsciously, Robin moved closer to Marian, so that he could catch her should she fall now.

"Then what happened?" asked Robin softly; he had never heard her admit to being so vulnerable before, and it scared him.

"The Nightwatchman happened. Sarah, the woman who had been looking after me, did not come one day. I asked where she was, and was told that her daughter was very ill, and had been for a long while. So, that day, I ate my meal properly for the first time in months. I recovered enough to sneak out of the castle that night and take my medicine to Sarah's daughter. The poor girl was so ill, and her mother could not afford even to care for her, let alone the medicine to cure her. I left my medicine and some money for them, feeling so selfish that I had been starving myself to death. I knew I had been a fool, so I vowed I would help. And I could not very well help if I had to be escorted even to the privy in case I fainted, could I? Their need for help brought me out of my stupor, and so I became the Nightwatchman." After this revelation, Robin looked at Marian closely, knowing just how vulnerable she had revealed herself to be, feeling so guilty that he had caused that.

"Marian, I am sorry. I did not know."

"Of course not," she replied. "My point is that I could not bear to go through that again, so that is why, when you returned, I did not give you another chance at first. I was not going to risk getting my heart broken again. I would not have survived it another time. Whereas with Guy, it is different. I do not love him, so there is no chance of getting my heart broken. But whenever I close my eyes, I see the look on his face when he stabbed me." The memory caused Robin to shudder in fear. "Such distress and shock; it is haunting. Killing him without knowing for sure that he can't change would only make it worse. Can't you understand?" she pleaded. "It is like your nightmares of the Holy Land."

"You know about that?"

"You cannot hide anything from your wife Robin." By way of explanation, she added, "I asked Much about your nightmares when I was last staying with you all. I heard you cry out in the night, tortured in your mind. You know how I feel, don't you?"

Robin sank to the ground, his knees drawn up to his chest, his hands clasped to his forehead. He took a deep breath. "Very well. We use your plan. Providing you agree to my previous terms."

Marian took a moment to remember them. "So long as no-one interferes unless I say the plan is not working. I can save plans very easily, and this is a once-only chance. I do not want over-cautiousness to make this fail."

"We have an agreement," declared Robin. "We start tomorrow."

"Thankyou," said Marian, and then paused. "Oh and Robin?"

"Hmm?"

"I meant what I said about if you ever use the fact that I am a woman against me…"

"I know," admitted Robin, flinching at the painful description.

***

Marian rolled out her bedding on the floor of the cavern determinedly, despite the icy night air.

"You are going to freeze," remarked Robin, as he settled into his bunk.

"I will be fine," retorted Marian, despite already shivering with cold.

"Of course," he said sarcastically.

Now, even more determined to brave the cold, Marian stubbornly lay down on the hard floor, and wrapped her blankets around her as tightly as possible. She couldn't help but wishing she were laying next to the torch that illuminated the cavern, but since it was so close to Robin, she saw that as being weak.

Her stubbornness did not last long though, as within minutes her teeth were chattering and her body quaked and shuddered as the cold crept through the layers surrounding her. Robin, tired of her suffering because of her stubbornness, eventually got out of his bunk and lifted her up. Though her pride would not have let her initiate this action, she was all too happy to accept it when it was offered. Robin gently placed her between the warm blankets of his bunk, before climbing in beside her. This, she made no objection to – he was, after all, toastily warm in comparison to her icy self – apart from turning onto her side, facing away from him.

Though her shudders had now subsided to mere shivers, she was still evidently cold, so Robin moved closer to her and snaked her arm around her waist. At first, Marian was inclined to slap his hand away, but then she realised just how warm his skin was, so she pressed herself against him. The effect was somewhat ruined though, when she sadistically pressed her frozen toes to Robin's feet, causing him to breathe in sharply with shock.

"Could you possibly be any colder?" he gasped.

"I doubt it," replied Marian grimly.

"You are a stubborn fool," reprimanded Robin.

"I am married to you," she replied. "It is a necessity." She curled herself up into a tight ball, still careful to keep her cold feet in contact with Robin's skin. He reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, kissing her neck as he did so.

"Goodnight, my wife," he whispered.

***

**Hope you liked that chapter; I certainly enjoyed writing it. The last bit was just a little idea that popped into my head while I was thinking up Robin & Marian moments to slip into this fic, so I thought I would slip it in here.**

**I have decided to keep the majority of the plan a secret, so as not to spoil the surprise. You already know that it involves Marian and the Nightwatchman, and that it's a way for Guy to show which side he's on (if he's still alive that is), but I won't say any more at the moment.**

**Please point out any errors (particularly spelling, grammar and historical ones) to me; I don't have a beta so no one but me sees this before I post it, and so there could be a huge number of mistakes that I haven't spotted.**

**Response to reviews:**

**Feline-x – Glad you liked the idea of the gang all getting drunk. I have started drafting it, but I won't post it until I am completely satisfied with it.**

**Sunstorm89 – I hope this chapter answers your question but if not, I'll quickly sum it up; Marian's a forgiving person usually (or she is at least in this fic) and the look on Guy's face once he'd stabbed her convinced her to give him another chance. Basically she would feel haunted by the fact that he could be killed even though he could have been a good man if given the chance. I hope that's explained enough for you.**

**ReaderADV – See I went to Brownies, not Girl Scouts, so I wouldn't have known that =D**

**javelinbabe73 - I think I'm getting the hang of typing one-handed now, so this update is much quicker than the last**

**Genevieve05 - Please keep me updated on whether the characters are OOC, as I can never be sure. You will have to wait and see what Marian's plan is, as I won't reveal the whole thing until later. Glad you're impressed with it so far. About my wrist, well basically I went cycling and I hit something that caused the handlebars to swerve out of control. I put my foot through the front wheel and went head-over-heels (apparently doing a full somersault) and landed on my left wrist, fracturing the scaphoid bone. So I'm in a cast until at least mid-November. Fantastic…**


	4. Trouble

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) **_**Till Death Do Us Part**_**. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisborne. Contains spoilers. **

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq (I'm only mentioning these two or I'll spoil it for you).**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Robin Hood or anything linked to it; that belongs to the BBC (the dear old Beeb who killed off Marian *curses at them loudly*), much as I hate to admit it. I do however, own Nicholas and any other characters I decide to introduce, so please do not steal.**

***

Chapter 4 – Trouble

Despite being regular early birds, Robin and Marian slept late for the second morning in a row. The sunlight they had relied on to wake them at the old camp no longer seeped into the outlaws' dreams early in the morning, so none of the were awake until almost midday.

"Robin! Much says that if you're not awake in two minutes, he will eat your breakfast!" Will yelled into the cavern, before quickly shutting his mouth when he saw the two entwined figures in Robin's bunk. Robin stirred in response to the cry, jostling Marian and waking her fully. After adjusting to the daytime, Marian leaned over and gently shook Robin's shoulder.

"Wake up," she said, and kissed him faintly. He did not respond. "Robin, wake up." She tried again. This time, she noticed a slight twitch in the corner of his mouth. He was not as asleep as he was pretending. "Do not think that you will get another kiss from me by pretending to be asleep," she said loudly. He immediately opened his eyes.

"Do not be such a spoilsport Marian," he said, propping himself up into a sitting position. She leaned in as though to kiss him again, but before doing so, her hand – which had until then been apparently idly resting at her neck – curled round and she placed one finger on his lips.

"Once a spoilsport, always a spoilsport," she teased, before swinging her legs off the bed, and getting up, stretching and yawning as she did so. "And I think Will was being serious when he said Much would eat your breakfast."

***

"It is not _my_ fault that you were so slow this morning." Much defended himself. "And it did seem like a waste to let perfectly good stew go cold."

"But that was my breakfast!" protested Robin.

"Never mind that Robin," interrupted Marian. "We have more important things at hand."

"The Nightwatchman," stated Will. "You need to be seen handing out food and money to the poor."

"Not being funny or nothing, but isn't getting seen what you try to avoid?" asked Allan. "Isn't that why they call you the _Night_watchman; because you only help at night?"

"In order for Gisborne to hear about the Nightwatchman's doings, he needs to be caught in the act," explained Much.

"He?" Allan asked incredulously. "I don't think Marian could pass herself of as male very easily."

"I have done it before," Marian reminded him. "And what else did you think I wore a cloak for? To make it easy for the Sheriff's guards to catch me? A cloak is very good for concealing things."

"Things like-"

"Allan!" warned Robin.

"Right, sorry mate." Luckily for him, Allan knew when to stop before Robin blew his top.

"And it won't be _Marian_ anyway," said Robin. "It'll be me. That was part of our deal. So, I go and hand out food parcels and coins in one of the villages, keeping it small at first but still ensuring I am seen by several people. And it will be at dusk so they will not be able to see me properly anyway."

"Won't you need your Nightwatchman disguise?" asked Will. "Where are you going to get that from?"

"There is still a spare set at the old camp," Robin answered for Marian. "We only brought with us here what we really needed, and so that was left from when Marian was in the forest with us."

"While you're there, can you bring me back a decent bit or rope?" asked Will.

"What do you want that for?" asked Allan.

"Do you want to have to haul everything up the rope ladder every day?" Will replied. Allan grumbled in response.

"No…"

"Exactly."

"So when do we start?" asked Djaq.

"Tonight," was Marian's response.

"What? No, we haven't trained or anything. What happens if there's guards?" protested Robin.

"I have been training during our journey here. If I can hold out at the same speed as a cNiage for almost an hour then I think I can handle a couple of guards."

"An hour?" A low, impressed whistle came from Allan. "That's…. that's quite good."

"See? I can handle this Robin." Marian turned her eyes on her husband imploringly. He had no resistance.

"Come on," he consented. "Let's go get your mask."

***

They walked in awkward silence through the forest, avoiding each other's eyes, and apparently fascinated by the mist settling in through the trees. Marian's revelation from the previous night, so poignant and so deeply devastating to Robin, had formed an invisible barrier between the two of them which, though it was well hidden behind jokes and smiles when they were in company, was uncomfortably evident when, like now, they were alone. For Marian, it was worry about having lost the shield of resilience and confidence she relied on so desperately to conduct the battle for strength in this male-dominated world; however, for Robin, it was the harsh realisation that his decision to leave for the Holy Land had not just tormented him and Much, but Marian too.

With the fading light becoming ever fainter, the silence became only more oppressive. The volume of the forest was comparatively deafening; the twitter or birds overhead, the scatter of hooves as a deer scented their presence, the leaves on the branches rustling in the slight breeze, the soft padding of their footsteps across the damp ground.

***

"I hope you remember to disable the traps last time you were here." Robin jumped slightly as Marian spoke, breaking the silence for the first time since leaving the camp. He smiled ruefully.

"Honestly, I can't remember. But being a gentleman, I will let the lady go first and find out."

"I do not think being a gentleman entails losing your title and lands by becoming and outlaw, living off squirrel stew, looking like a ragamuffin, and smelling like wet leaves," countered Marian.

"Who knows? Maybe one day Much's speciality of squirrel will one day be a great delicacy, enjoyed even by King Richard."

"We shall see..."

***

Having avoided potentially trap-filled areas, they navigated their way to the old camp undisturbed. The …

An instant later, the sound of metal on metal crashed out and reverberated stridently throughout, forcing Robin and Marian to cover their ears against the thunderous din. At the same time, several dozen pigeons launched skywards, out of the trees. When the clamour finally dulled, Marian took her hands away from her ears.

"What on earth was that?" she asked, looking at Robin for an answer. She followed his horrified gaze to where the pigeons had flown from, and to where now they could see an open wooden crate nestled in the branches.

"Unless I am mistaken, that was the sound of trouble. Listen." As the echo of the noise died away, the sound of faint hooves approaching became horribly audible.

"Is that-?"

"They've found us. This was a trap. They set a trap for us in our own camp." Stating the obvious in his horror, Robin looked at Marian. "We need to get out of here. They cannot be allowed to see you."

"We cannot outrun horses Robin! And we _cannot_ lead them to the camp."

"We only need to outrun them to somewhere they cannot follow," replied Robin, racking his brains to think of one such place.

"The river!" exclaimed Marian. "It is southwards so it is in the opposite direction to the camp. Let's go!" She made as if to run but Robin held her back. "We must go!" she insisted.

"Not like that. They must not even get a glimpse of you. Put your Nightwatchman clothes on." Marian looked at him hesitantly. "Don't worry, I won't look," he teased.

"There isn't time. We will be caught."

"Then hurry up!" said Robin. Marian dashed past him into the old camp and found the cubby hole where she had stored her things, while Robin located the coil of rope Will had asked for. If they weren't going to be coming back, he had to take it now. As Marian dressed as the Nightwatchman, they both heard the full-on gallop drawing nearer and nearer.

"Hurry!" said Robin, holding out her sword and bow to her. She tied back her hair with a piece of cloth, put on her mask, and drew he hood over her head, and then raced out of the camp, her cloak flowing behind her and grabbed her weapons as she fell into step with Robin in a sprint for their lives.

Not a moment later, the galloping stopped behind them, as several dozen guards drew up to the camp. Having been hired for their steel, not their brains, they were slow to notice that the concealed entrance to the cave was wide open, and even slower to notice the two figures tearing away from it as if the devil were at their heels.

"Sir!" One of the guards cried out when he noticed them, and pointed at the two forms desperately distancing themselves from the camp. The sergeant followed the guard's finger and spotted the retreating figures.

"After them!" he yelled, drawing his sword and kicking his horse into action, thundering down the slope into the hollow of the camp, followed by the throng of soldiers.

Robin and Marian quickened their pace even more, pelting through the most wooded path possible, their pounding hearts echoing the thudding hooves behind them. The padding of their feet was drowned out utterly by the foreboding drumming, and their only thoughts were to run.

***

They were incredibly lucky that their path to the river was down the most densely wooded track possible, or else they would have been caught at sword-point instantaneously, and inescapably. Fortunately, the dense trees meant they had managed to put a fair distance between them and the following guards by the time they reached the river.

It was bisected by a simple wooden bridge – one thin, wet, misshapen piece of wood that, nonetheless, should have been guarded under all circumstances, but thankfully had been abandoned in the earlier rain. As Robin was ahead, he hurtled across the bridge first. Even the weight of one man was too much for the bridge, weakened by the heavy rain, and Marian cried out at she heard the wood splitting in two.

"Robin!" she cried desperately, watching in fear as he scrambled for the other side. Just as he managed to grab a hold of a sturdy branch and haul himself to safety, the bridge tumbled into the rushing water. Now, separated from safety by the absent lifeline of the bridge that crossed the perilously fast water, Marian was trapped on the other bank, with the roar of the guards drawing closer and closer…

***

**Dun dun dun! *Plays the opening to Beethoven's 5****th**** Symphony* What's going to happen? Will Marian be caught by the guards and revealed for who she really is, or will she or Robin somehow think of a way to save her? You will have to wait and see…**

**I'm sorry that I took forever to post this chapter, but Tuesday and Thursday were my only free days and I was going to post it on Tuesday but then I had a migraine and so (understandably, I think) I wasn't going to be looking at a computer screen, and then on Thursday I spent all day in hospital getting my plaster cast off my (now healed) wrist. I promise to be quicker at updating next time.**

**Response to reviews:**

**MontyPythonFan – Yeah I love Robin and Marian banter, so it's likely there will be some more of that later on**

**My-Little-Emmilette – You'll just have to wait a while longer for the plan, but I hope you like the bit of fluff at the beginning of this chapter.**

**Marjatta – Well it's not really that she doesn't think it's her place in his bunk as such, it's more that she wants to emphasise that she's not weak. If you think about it, she's only been reunited with him for just over a day, so they're both adjusting to that. Also, it was Robin who put her in his bunk in Chapter 1, but he slept on the floor then (I guess you could say because he was being a gentleman and not wanting to appear forward). Then he makes some suggestive jokes about her in his bed, and kind of offends her by using the fact that she is a woman to initially resist her plan, so she's a bit miffed about that. When it comes to sleeping then, she doesn't want to appear a weak woman by avoiding the cold floor (she thinks that if Robin can last a night there, then so can she) so she initially settles down there to prove a point – basically that she's just as tough as he. I hope that answered your question.**

**You-Know-Who – Trust me, I know; I do it often enough. Such as in my first fanfic when I kept postponing the actual Robin and Marian reunion =D**

**Genevieve05 – I've said before that I have trouble with writing in character, but this time it was semi-intentional. In Series 1, Episode 5 (Turk Flu) she tells her father that she became the Nightwatchman after she had been ill for a while, but Robin never knew this. I figured this would have been shortly after Robin left, and while I know Marian isn't exactly the mopey kind, I thought she was a bit too hostile towards him when he returned from the Holy Land (her reason for being hostile towards him didn't, in my opinion, merit just how aggressively sarcastic she behaved), so I thought I would juice that bit up and show the emotional side of Marian. Also, I reckon that Robin has been a bit too sensitive and vulnerable throughout the programme, so by making other characters vulnerable at times, and making him tougher, I hope to rectify that.**

**Wow those were long responses – I'd better stop now. As always, reviews cheer up my day, so I would like at least 30 reviews before I post the next chapter. Of course I will need to finish it off as well before posting…**

**xxx Nia**


	5. Blessing

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) **_**Till Death Do Us Part**_**. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisborne. Contains spoilers. **

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq (I'm only mentioning these two or I'll spoil it for you).**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Robin Hood or anything linked to it; that belongs to the BBC (the dear old Beeb who killed off Marian *curses at them loudly*), much as I hate to admit it. I do however, own Nicholas and any other characters I decide to introduce, so please do not steal.**

***

Chapter 5 – Blessing

Now, separated from safety by the absent lifeline of the bridge that crossed the perilously fast water, Marian was trapped on the other bank, with the roar of the guards drawing closer and closer…

***

"Mar-!" began Robin.

"Shhh!" she interrupted, cutting him off before he could yell out her name for all to hear. Robin bit his tongue and looked anxiously into the woods behind him. The thunder of hooves was almost upon them. Both hurriedly assessed their situation for anything that would help, but it was no use: the overhanging branches were too high to reach; the river too fast to swim across; the bridge now hopeless rubble crashing downstream; and the banks too far apart for even a horse to jump.

Then Robin remembered the rope; he had lugged it over his shoulder when they had fled the camp, and there it still was, one end dragging loosely on the ground. It was not the thickest of ropes, but would easily hold the weight of a man, let alone a woman. Robin first tried to toss one end over to Marian, but its weight caused it to plunge into the rushing water. He reeled in the rope again, and made as if to attempt it again.

Trying desperately not to speak for fear of being heard by the ever-approaching guards, Marian mimed shooting and arrow. Robin plucked a bow from his quiver and threaded the now wet end of the rope onto the shaft. He securely tied the other end to a tree, and then fired the arrow over one of the branches above the river. It flew over the bough and then dropped back down to the ground, still several arms' lengths out of reach for Marian. She searched on the ground for a stick to reach it with, but none were long enough, and the guards were only seconds away now.

"Here!" Robin fired another arrow. It launched towards the dangling rope and propelled it towards Marian's side of the river, embedding its shaft deep into a tree near her head. "Behind you!" exclaimed Robin. Marian looked over her shoulder; the soldiers had reached. As they dismounted, drawing their swords, she tugged desperately on the rope, trying in vain to free it from its position, lodged in the tree by the arrow. Robin drew his bow once more, now aiming for the soldiers, but with only a limited number of arrows, and the risk of shooting Marian, he could do nothing but watch as she ducked a blow from the sergeant. "Get the rope!" he yelled at her.

Marian backed towards the rope while dodging and parrying blow after blow from the guards. She ducked a blow aimed for her head and tripped the sergeant, sending him sprawling to the ground. The not-so-bright soldiers behind him staggered over his fallen figure, stumbling to the floor as well. This gave Marian the second free she needed; holding the rope in one hand, she severed it from the tree with her sword, stowed her sword back in its scabbard, grasped the rope with both hands, and launched herself into the air.

The remaining standing guards drew their bows and fired arrows at whatever they could see – the rope, Marian, her cloak, Robin – but by some miracle the moving targets escaped their damage, and Marian tumbled safely onto the far bank, allowing Robin to breathe a sigh of relief – but only one, as a second later they were running again, as far out of range of the arrows as possible.

***

"Did you get the rope?" asked Will, when they returned back to the cave.

"There was an incident; it was needed for other things," replied Robin. "And we can't go back to the camp any more; it was a trap. We were nearly caught."

"Did they see you?" Nicholas asked Marian quickly.

"No." She shook her head in response. "They saw the Nightwatchman with Robin Hood instead."

"That at least is a blessing," breathed Djaq. "But you did not reach Nettlestone then?"

"No, but the guards served their purpose," Robin answered. "We were only going to Nettlestone to spread rumours of the Nightwatchman's return and draw back the Sheriff and Gisborne."

"If they are still alive," added Allan.

"Think Allan, who told them where the camp is? One person knew most of the way there, and the other knew what it looked like," pointed Robin.

"Sheriff and Gisborne." Will answered for Allan.

"Exactly. And since they're the only ones who knew where it is, it must be them who told the guards, and so they must be alive."

"And since they'll be so eager to find out who the new Nightwatchman is, you can bet they'll be here within the week," said Will.

"So what do we do until they arrive in Nottingham?" Djaq asked.

"We get Marian ready for a trip to the castle," replied Robin.

***

**Ooh, some more of the plan has been revealed… It might not make sense right now, but believe me it will do eventually. I apologise that this chapter is relatively short in comparison the others, but I thought that here would be the best place to end the chapter, so as to get your suspense-filled minds to review as much as possible (no I am not – ahem – pleading for reviews here…)**

**Response to reviews:**

**MontyPythonFan – Yeah, I know =D**

**moonlightfaery – Well she wasn't caught, but as for Gisborne I can't say anything yet. He is definitely alive though, as Robin correctly deducted.**

**Sunstorm89 – I love cliffhangers, so expect more to come in this fic**

**Magpie287 - I wouldn't say the chapters are really long, this one for example is relatively short, but thanks for you amazing comments! Plus, you got me my 100 reviews for _Till Death Do Us Part_!!!**

**Please note that I don't reply to all reviews, but that I do accept anonymous reviews. No flames though please.**

**xxx Nia**


	6. Turn Back Time

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) **_**Till Death Do Us Part**_**. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisborne. Contains spoilers. **

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq (I'm only mentioning these two or I'll spoil it for you).**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Robin Hood or anything linked to it; that belongs to the BBC (the dear old Beeb who killed off Marian *curses at them loudly*), much as I hate to admit it. I do however, own Nicholas and any other characters I decide to introduce, so please do not steal.**

***

Chapter 6 – Turn Back Time

"_We get Marian ready for a trip to the castle," replied Robin._

***

"Gisborne!" The Sheriff's commandeering tone echoed through the dark corridors of Mansfield Friary, jolting the former out of his reverie. He hastily stuffed something under the measly excuse of a pillow that adorned the simple wooden bed, then sat up sharply and wiped his damp eyes, managing to do so just moments before the door to his tiny chamber crashed open to reveal the vindictive Vaisey. "Ah, there you are." The Sheriff was quite to notice his lieutenant's misty eyes and dejected stature. "Not still pining over our little leper friend, are we?"

"_Don't call her that,"_ muttered Gisborne under his breath. "No, my lord – it's simply that the stench of straw and poverty repulses me."

"Well, I have good news in that case."

"What kind of news?" asked Gisborne warily.

"We shall be departing from this dank and depressing dwelling," replied the Sheriff, clasping his hands together, "and will be returning to Nottingham."

"But why?"

"_Why!?_ Think, Gisborne! To get back my shire from the idiotic buffoon there now! Why did Prince John insist on putting Thomas of Worcester on _my_ seat of power? Hmm? The man's more thick than these half-brained monks who actually believe that they are sheltering two friends of their King."

"Well the forged Royal Seal on a forged letter was pretty convincing to a half-illiterate Abbot."

"Stop defending these imbeciles, Gisborne. You're starting to get pious, and what with all the time you've been spending in the chapel or in confession, you'll soon be taking the cloth yourself!"

"I'm just living up to our cover," replied the lieutenant The Sheriff wasn't to know this was a lie. In the chapel he could find peace, and sanctuary; it was his glimmer of light at the end of a seemingly endless tunnel. He could – even if just for a moment – believe that his begs for forgiveness could be heard in heaven by Marian, and even if she could not forgive him, unburdening his regrets brought a huge sense of relief. Though this relief did scarcely anything to stop the crushing guilt and lament and torture he felt over Marian's death, it gave him a tiny flicker of hope to keep him going. "And I thought we were here for our safety, anyway."

"Hmm, yes, safety. Brilliant of Prince John to think of hiding us in the least likely place we would be; a house of _God_. Although, they are so very _dedicated_ to their work, aren't they? Maybe I should outlaw holy orders, and force them all to work for me! Anyway, you can stop your pious act now," said the Sheriff. If he had noticed the change in Guy's mood, he did not mention it. "We're leaving. We are going to another unlikely place we will be found; the most obvious place!" With that final announcement, and a short laugh at his own wit, he swept back out the room, the furs of his long robe swirling around his ankles.

Once the door was closed – and this time firmly locked – Gisborne sat down and put his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands. He breathed heavily, his hands clenching into tight fists over his unwashed hair as he tried to control his anger. Why did the Sheriff have to taunt him all the time, and bring to mind everything he just wanted to omit? Why did he still have to insult Marian; why couldn't he just leave her in peace? It was this last thought that caused his breath to come out shakily, and his anger turn to distress. He hadn't meant to kill her – only the words coming out of her mouth. When she said she loved _Hood_… No, he mustn't think of her like that – it only made the pain in his chest worse. Remember her as the beautiful , compassionate, brilliant woman she was – the woman he had loved. No – the woman he _still_ loved, despite everything.

He slid his hand under the pillow again, and brought out the small leather pouch he had hurriedly stowed there. He pulled open the drawstrings, and tipped out the contents; two rings. The first, an engagement ring. The pink jewelled flowers and sparkling green leaves glinted up at him in the light, just as they had done when he had first sprung the ring on Marian at the Locksley celebration for the 'King's birthday' a year and a half ago. Though she had not been thrilled to wear it, Marian had done so dutifully, and he had presented her hand to the gathered nobles in pride.

It was ironic, then, that the other ring had done such a good job of wounding his pride, when Marian had removed it from her ring finger and slid onto her other hand, before punching him to the ground and fleeing the church with that_ outlaw_. Passionate anger threatened to burst out like the fiery colour of the gems in the ring which, now he came to think of it, was an ugly item in itself, without the unpleasant memories it held. He had only decided to use it because it was a family heirloom, which was pointless in itself as his past was something he would rather not dwell on.

He exhaled deeply, before stowing the rings back into the purse, and placing it carefully into the wooden chest at the end of his bed, where it nestled amongst the cold black leather he had not worn since arriving back from the Holy Land, instead sporting looser shirts or tunics over breeches. He was no longer the cold-hearted man he had been before he had met Marian, and he had vowed never to be again, for that man had been irreversibly changed – by her – from Sir Guy of Gisborne, the callous and vindictive Master at Arms to the sadistic Sheriff of Nottingham, into a man capable of compassion, and forgiveness… and love. Love of a woman he could only wish to have one last change with; a wish to change time and stop his actions. But he'd had his chances with her, and no miracle could turn back time…

***

**I've decided to go for the approach that Guy didn't intend to kill Marian – that when she blurted out that she loved Robin it sort of made his primal instinct of revenge take over, and in order to stop her saying what she was saying, and because he can't have Marian (and so he thinks – irrationally, in my opinion – that no-one can) he impulsively tries to stop the words coming out of her mouth and in doing so runs her through (or so he thinks). This interpretation is mostly based on the interview with Richard Armitage on the Series 2 box set feature called 'Farewell to Marian' (which I totally agree with and think is just the right mix of emotions going through Guy's head) and so technically isn't my idea, but I think the point still stands.**

**Response to reviews:**

**thepiemaker – No problems, I kind of guessed that you hadn't seen it =D**

**Genevieve05 – Yeah, about the whole not updating thing… *points upwards***

**SpookyMonkey – That's a brilliant description of the Sheriff! I completely agree – I think Keith Allen does a fantastic job playing him (though I absolutely HATE his daughter). But I do think that Alan Rickman was just as amazing – if not more – as the Sheriff in Prince of Thieves; I love the 'Keep the stitches small!' bit and the 'Cancel the kitchen scraps for orphans and lepers, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas!' bit. Genius!**

**Blimey those were long notes – I really need to stop doing that… Please review**

**xxx Nia**

**P.S Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes to me. Remember I use **_**proper**_** English – i.e. England English – not Australian or American English (I have nothing against American of Australian English by the way, but I see England English as proper original English).**


	7. A Concealed Plan

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) **_**Till Death Do Us Part**_**. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisborne. Contains spoilers. **

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq (I'm only mentioning these two or I'll spoil it for you).**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Robin Hood or anything linked to it; that belongs to the BBC (the dear old Beeb who killed off Marian *curses at them loudly*), much as I hate to admit it. I do however, own Nicholas and any other characters I decide to introduce, so please do not steal.**

***

Chapter 7 – A Concealed Plan

"Master! Master!" Much hurtled into the clearing where Robin had been helping Marian with her shooting, narrowly avoiding being almost decapitated by the collection of arrows embedded into a tree. He flew himself to the floor just in time, and then, after checking there were no more arrows at dangerous heights, picked himself off the ground, much to the amusement of the two responsible for his near-miss. "Don't do that!" he scolded, scrambling over to Robin.

"It is not our fault that you almost ran into the arrows, Much," insisted Robin.

"Yes, well, nothing's ever your fault round here is it?" muttered Much, in a feeble attempt at holding a grudge against his former master.

"I can think of a few things," said Marian, as she set down her bow and quiver onto the forest floor, and walked over to retrieve the arrows. Much ignored her.

"Robin, Will's brought news from Locksley. He went to see Thornton to make sure that all the villagers have heard the rumours of the Nightwatchman's return, and of course to make an appearance in Locksley as the Nightwatchman-"

"And?" pressed Robin. "Have the rumours spread across the shire?"

"Well yes, but…"

"But what?" asked Marian. "Is something wrong? What did he say?"

"Well I would have gotten round to that already if you two hadn't almost killed me!" protested Much.

"Much!" yelled John, as he entered the glade, followed by Allan and Djaq. "Just get on with it!"

"I am getting to it-"

"Much!" The collective frustrated shout from everyone present shocked him into finally reaching his destination.

"They're coming back," he blurted out.

"To Nottingham? But I thought there was a new Sheriff-"

"He's a puppet. The real Sheriff is coming back in four days, and Gisborne's coming the day after tomorrow." Now it was Much's turn to interrupt Marian. "It has been all hushed up – only Thornton and his daughter are still at the manor. The rest of the servants have been packed off elsewhere, and Thornton says there will be about thirty new guards arriving this evening, and ten more coming with Gisborne.

"The day after tomorrow?!" exclaimed Marian.

"Yes, but he's not going to the castle. He's going to Locksley."

"Locksley?" asked Allan incredulously. "Not being funny, but that's the first place we'd look for 'im."

"Exactly," breathed Robin slowly. "It's the most obvious place for him to be, so would anyone think he would actually go there?" The group stood in silent understanding, until Marian broke the silence.

"If he is not going to Nottingham, then how do I encounter Gisborne?" she asked. "The plan does not exist without that."

"I've got an idea," said Will, as he approached from behind her. "But we'll need Thornton's help, and you'll need to remember a lot…"

***

"I'm telling you," insisted Much for the fourth time, "if this is a letter from an Abbess-"

"Mother Superior," corrected Allan.

"Same thing," Much snapped back in annoyance at being interrupted, again.

"Well…" Allan made as if to protest again.

"Well it's close enough!" retorted Much, shooting Allan a vicious death glare. "Either way, I still say that it should start with 'I _pray_' instead of 'I _hope_ that this message is delivered to you safely.' It sound's more holy – more…" he struggled to find the right word.

"Authentic?" offered Nicholas.

"Authentic! Exactly!" The gang's blank stares prompted Much to explain further. "Think about it; isn't a woman who has spent most of her life as a nun going to write the same words she would say? All the _God bless you _and that sort of thing."

"Alright, we will change it," said Marian, striking out the word _hope_ and scribbling _pray_ above it. Even though they were only drafting the letter, it was still being written down by her – by mutual consent, as of everyone who could read and write (Marian, Robin, Djaq, Will and Nicholas) her handwriting was the least masculine (Djaq's resembling more of a tangle of lines than legible words, even to herself) and the neatest, and most passable as that of a Mother Superior's. "And I will finish it with _God bless you_ as well. Will that suffice?" Much nodded, contented.

"Then it is finished now?" asked Robin. Marian nodded in response, not taking her eyes off the letter in front of her. "Good. Write up a neat copy, then I'll get word to Thornton."

"Go now, before the guards arrive," said Marian. "They must not see you, Robin."

"I will go," offered Nicholas. "No one can recognize me, and I need to be there tonight anyway if they are to believe I am one of the guards. I will find a way to give Thornton the message."

"Just tell him and Lucy that his sister 'Christine' is the Mother Superior at Ransford Abbey near Scarborough-" began Robin.

"Why Scarborough?" Allan interrupted, ever prompt at butting in. "Why not Portsmouth or somewhere further away from here? Look I know how Gisborne thinks, and the first thing he'll do is ride out – or send someone out – to check."

"It's mutual territory," replied Robin. "It's not very near any Black Knight stronghold apart from Nottingham, and as far as we know, Gisborne doesn't have any contacts there."

"The Sheriff might."

"That's a risk we'll have to take. We'd be in the same situation no matter where in England we said this abbey was, and we cannot very well make up a place-"

"You made up the abbey," protested Allan. "And Thornton's sister the Mother Superior, and the Sisters of the Abbey, and those other two that Marian 'lived with'. What were their names?"

"Helen and Caitlin," replied Marian immediately, having already committed the names to memory.

"Yeah. So why not make up a place too?"

"Because, Allan, there are far more people and names than there are towns in England, and so Marian's story is more likely to be exposed if we made up a place rather than use somewhere everyone has heard of. Like when we first met you, and you made up a pregnant wife in order to save your hand, but the later you said you were from Rochdale, which is a real place, because they would not have believed you if you'd said you were from an imaginary place, or somewhere they doubted existed. And, Will's Auntie Annie-"

"Marian's too," interrupted Djaq.

"-lives there, and Will's been there before, so Marian knows what the area looks like if she needs to." Robin's reasoning was fairly sound, so Allan dropped his protest, instead switching to another subject.

"Well, she can't go meet Gisborne wearing _that_," he said, indicating her current outlaw attire. "He'd never believe her if she said she'd-"

"_She_ has a name," countered Robin.

"_She_ is also standing right here and can fight her own battles," snapped Marian tetchily. "You," she looked at Allan, "do not have to treat me like I am in another room, and _you_," she switched to Robin, "do not have to interrupt what sounded like a perfectly good point in order to pointlessly defend me." She glared at Robin for a few seconds, before tearing her gaze away and looking back to Allan. "Sorry," she said," please continue."

"Right… as I was saying, what you're wearing now is hardly going to have come from a convent, is it?"

"And are you an expert of women's clothes?" asked Djaq mockingly.

"Out of all of us, probably yes," he replied. "Sorry Marian," he added. "And Djaq."

"Do not worry – I have always preferred not to wear dresses. Long skirts are a nuisance when running and riding. Although dresses do come in useful sometimes…"

"Count Friedrich, Gisborne," coughed Robin.

"But what makes you such an expert?" asked Marian, after glancing reproachfully at her husband, and then changing her mind. "Actually, never mind – I do not think I want to know the answer to that."

"Just leave the clothes to me," said Allan.

"Though it goes against every fibre of my being," agreed Robin, "go on then. John, you put together a pack of food, and blankets maybe – travelling things, that sort of pack. Nicholas – you get off to Locksley. Give Thornton the details, and get in as a guard. Djaq, go find a horse – one that could pass as belonging to a convent or abbey. Will, once you've finished making that seal…"

"Done it," said the latter. He held out the small piece of wood into which he had constructed a design to mimic that of the seal of an Abbess or Mother Superior. Robin took it, and peered at it closely.

"Why is it back-to-front?" Much asked.

"Well, so that when you press it into the wax, the seal comes out the right way," replied Will. Much examined the seal for a few moments, concentrating fiercely to figure out how that worked.

"This is good," praised Robin. "This is really good. How did you know what to carve?"

"Allan helped. He managed to get hold of the Kirklees Abbess' seal for a bit."

"How did you manage that?"

"I'm good with nuns."

***

**Response to reviewers:**

**thepiemaker – Hmm, we'll see…**

**Beta-ReaderADV – Oh don't worry, I've already set some blood-thirsty poodles on Dominic Minghella for the series 2 ending, so the arrow isn't really necessary, but feel free to do so anyway; it's a brilliant way to let off steam. Forget anger management - just hurl abuse at the writers of Robin Hood…**

**Picture of perfection - Ooh lots of reviews! *hugs* I really wish this is what series 3 would be like (maybe not the plot, but the fact that Marian's alive at least). I love the Robin/Marian banter too - look out for a bit more next chapter =D**

**Genevieve05 - Thankyou! I'm so glad you've said that since you were the one who said some of them were a bit OOC in previous chapters. Hopefully that's been rectified now.**

**julie20007 - Ooh a new reviewer! *pounces***

**Moving on, I also thought you might like to know that I have created a Community Archive of AU endings for series 2 - just to prove to the dear old Beeb that they've made a mistake, and also to give options to rectify that issue (hint hint). The link is: www[dot]fanfiction[dot]net/community/The_REAL_Series_2_Finale_s/65985/**

**That's all for now!**

**xxx Nia**


	8. Principles

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) Till Death Do Us Part. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisbourne. Contains spoilers. **

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq (I'm only mentioning these two or I'll spoil it for you).**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Robin Hood or anything linked to it; that belongs to the BBC (the dear old Beeb who killed off Marian *curses at them loudly*), much as I hate to admit it. I do however, own Nicholas and any other characters I decide to introduce, so please do not steal.**

***

Chapter 8 – Principles

**This chapter is dedicated to Rachel – my neighbour and friend who died peacefully in her sleep on Monday 12th January after a ten-year battle with cancer. Here's to the brilliant Saturday morning gossips and natters at the stables with a mug of hot chocolate and some saddle soap, during which time you helped me over my fear of riding. Rest in peace.**

***

"Perfect," praised Robin, looking at the spread of items in front of him. John had done well in securing a number of things someone travelling would possess, even going so far as to procure an icon of Saint Christopher - the patron saint of travellers. It was this attention to detail that would convince Gisbourne of Marian's story, and that would ultimately make her plan succeed. Djaq too had done her bit in rescuing a sturdy but tired old mare from becoming horsemeat, by offering coins and food to the farmer in Clun whose children were growing malnourished from lack of food. Thanks to Djaq (and the rest of the gang), these children now ran around with full bellies, and their parents could easily afford the next month's taxes.

The only thing Robin was worried about was Allan; he had come back with several dresses, none of which Robin thought he would approve of. At least Marian had (albeit grudgingly) granted him veto power on the choice of dress, but that still didn't stop him shooting warning looks at Allan as he carried the garments up the rope ladder to the platform and along the bridge of branches to the cave entrance.

Marian noticed these worried looks and frowned in concern, which Robin then mistook for annoyance. He dropped the glances at Allan and once again put on his charismatic swagger, waiting till everyone but he and Marian had gone into the tunnels, then holding his arm out across the entrance, barring her way.

"I'm afraid our gang is an elite society milady. Members only." Robin said it with the utmost sincerity apart from the smile in his eyes. Marian decided to play along, even if only because she was grateful that the glares at Allan had subsided.

"And how might I obtain a place, sir?"

"Kiss me and I may think about it." Marian leaned in to kiss him, but as she did so she manoeuvred herself round to Robin's other side and into the cave. He realised his mistake when the kiss was over. Now it was he who was trapped outside, and somehow she had managed to slip his knife out from his belt without him noticing, and now held it to his side. His exasperations increased when he noticed his sword and bow lying within the cave, out of reach. _Damn_, he thought, inwardly cursing himself.

"You were saying?" Marian smiled teasingly.

***

"I think you over-estimated my size Allan," said Marian, as she entered the main cavern (dubbed the 'Great Hall' by Nicholas) in the last of the dresses the former had obtained. It was indeed huge; the mass of material swamped her slight frame, and the hem trailed far too far on the ground – a trip hazard in the making.

"I can do something about that." Allan was anxious to defend himself, particularly after the other two dresses had been completely inappropriate (the first being indecently revealing, and the second looking like it had been dragged through brambles until it was almost torn to shreds and then thrown into slops). This one was at least intact, and didn't make Marian look like a tavern wench. "Or you can – because I can't sew. Just take the bottom up a bit, and then I'll find something for a belt."

"Sewing…" Marian grimaced. "Ugh. Anyone have a needle?"

"Ask Djaq," replied Allan. "I bet she's got one in her instruments of torture…"

***

It was almost sundown by the time that Marian was able to snatch a moment to herself. Seizing the opportunity of solitude, she made her way out of the cave and along the branches to the platform in the trees. She sat down on the wooden boards, and swung her legs over the side to dangle above the long drop to the ground, and leant back against the tree trunk. The bark was hard and it dug into her back painfully, so she shifted to the side and lay back onto the boards, and gazed up into the branches where the leaves were green silhouettes against a darkening sky.

***

She didn't know how long she lay there for, but by the time she snapped out of her reverie, the previously emerald leaves were now a fiery red in the light cast by the setting sun. She became vaguely aware of someone crossing the branches from the cave over to the platform, but didn't fully register their presence until they lay down beside her.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Robin, and they both knew it was not the sunset to which her was referring.

"Robin…" groaned Marian. "Please, do not make me explain again. It was hard enough the first time."

"Marian, you know that even if Gisbourne _does _show remorse and we spare him, the King will not."

"I know," she replied softly. "But I will have done all I can to save him, and at least my conscience will be clear. And I'll know the truth; I won't be torn between which is Guy's true side and which is the lie."

"Marian, there isn't just right and wrong. There aren't just two distinct sides of life – there's also people in the middle, who are both good and bad, or neither."

"Since when did you become an expert on principles?" laughed Marian.

"I'm being serious!" Robin's pouting indignant face implied exactly the opposite, but then he _did _put on a sober face. "What will you do if he turns out to be in the middle?" Marian dropped her gaze to the distant forest floor, and murmured softly in response.

"Then this will be his final chance to choose a side."

Suddenly, without warning, the sound of thundering hooves approaching was heard. Robin and Marian were startled out of their silence and jumped up.

"Have they found us?" whispered Marian anxiously.

"I don't think so. If they had, they would more likely try to sneak up on us, and that doesn't sound like they're trying to be quiet. I think they're coming up the Great North Road to Nottingham. We're close to the road here – it's only just over that ridge," Robin indicated. "Come on." He started to descend the tree, and together they made their way to the ridge and peered over down onto the road. The resounding thunder of hooves was almost deafening, and a procession of about a dozen people turned the corner, coming into sight. Leading them, his face lit up by the light of a torch carried by one of the other riders, was Sir Guy of Gisbourne…

***

**Response to reviewers:**

**Picture of perfection – No one seems to be showing any interest in the Community, so I think I'll just leave it for now. There's not much point keeping up one if no one's going to look at it. Thanks for the kind offer anyway though!**

**Mandy – You noticed! I don't think anyone has actually noticed that yet! And it was deliberate by the way – I love that film, and I thought that bit was quite relevant here =D And not necessarily, because the baby could have been stillborn, or died very young, which is what happened here.**

**Beta-ReaderADV – What's 'Gitmo'?**

**XxXxXJasperIsNotEmoXxXxX – I was furious too, so I decided to keep her alive by taking up fanfiction and writing TDDUP =D**


	9. Now Go

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) Till Death Do Us Part. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisbourne. Contains spoilers for Series 1 and 2. There shouldn't be any Series 3 spoilers or references, unless I had already had the idea before seeing this series, in which case any similarities are coincidental.**

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq (I'm only mentioning these two or I'll spoil it for you).**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Robin Hood or anything linked to it; that belongs to the BBC (the dear old Beeb who killed off Marian *curses at them loudly*), much as I hate to admit it. I do however, own Nicholas and any other characters I decide to introduce, so please do not steal.**

***

Chapter 9 – Now Go

_Leading them, his face lit up by the light of a torch carried by one of the other soldiers, was Sir Guy of Gisbourne…_

***

Every minute piece of his body was begging for him to shoot an arrow straight through Gisbourne's heart – or rather, the abyss where every man with a speck of compassion left in him possessed one – putting an end to the threatening leather. Perhaps it was Marian's hand on his arm, her eyes urgently pleading for him to stay his hand, or his deep-down recollection of her earlier confession of torment, or simply being frozen in fury that stopped him leaping down the slope and hacking Gisbourne to pieces in his rage. It was impossible to tell.

Robin breathed heavily, his jaw clenched to the extent of pain, as like the rest of his body that tensed violently. His eyes followed Gisbourne as he passed, boring into the back of his head as if he could burn right through if he tried hard enough. It took several long minutes for Marian to get him to calm down before he was capable of coherent speech.

"They're-"

"-early, yes. I saw." Marian interrupted before he could finish. "And you know what that means. I have to go to Locksley. Tonight." Sensing that Robin was about to protest, she hurriedly continued. "I was going tomorrow anyway, so what harm is one more day? I must catch him alone first, while he is not under the influence of the Sheriff. And if Gisbourne was early, who knows when the Sheriff will be here. It _must _be tonight."

"Get the gang," replied Robin.

***

"You two," commanded the sergeant, pointing at Nicholas and the guard on his left, "watch the main door. Two more covering the back windows, another man guarding the stables, and I want three men inside the manor at all times. No-one is to enter or leave the immediate area under any circumstances, unless I tell you otherwise. If any of you stray from your posts, I'll have you whipped till your eyes are bleeding and then you be strung upside-down by the ankle for a week. The rest of you are dismissed for the night. Go entertain yourselves in the servants; quarters or something." With that, he turned on his heel and marched back into the manor, no doubt to enjoy a drink of ale, or even help himself to the master's supply of wine. The guards outside began to disperse, mumbling amongst themselves.

"Not that there's anything to go now he's sacked the servants," grumbled the man with whom Nicholas had been assigned guard duty. "All that's left now is the ancient steward and his daughter. 'Course, she's not bad, but the master respects the steward and he'll have our necks if anything happens to him or the girl. And now that Sir Guy's back, it'll be even worse for us." As the two men ambled the few paces to the stables, the young guard (by the name of George Robertson) continued to chatter, oblivious to Nicholas' distracted attention.

Inwardly, the phoney guard was panicking. How was he supposed to get a message to Robin that Gisbourne had arrived early? It had been difficult enough to sneak into the group of guards in the first place; he had eventually resorted to knocking out a guard, dragging him into the forest, taking his uniform, and then burying the man in furs in a trader's cart bound for Southampton. The replacement driver of the cart - a budding young village archer by the names of Rowan - was all too eager to undertake the journey when he was told he would be helping Robin Hood's gang, even offering to dump the guard in the sea. Here Nicholas drew the line, saying that they did not do murder, and that the splitting headache the guard would have for several days would be enough. After that, he reckoned, the temptation of the taverns would definitely suffice, particularly as there had been several coins of the ones pilfered from the merchant's purse which had made their way into the guard's shoe. Just a little persuasion…

"You got a girl back home?" asked George. "A wife? Children?"

"Me? No… Can't seem to catch hold of a woman. Interfering fathers and all."

"Tell me about it. My girl Ellie's father was such a miserable old sourface that we had to wait till he was on his deathbed before he would every consider our marriage."

"But you did marry her eventually. Whereas I'm doomed to a life of solidarity… Still, could be worse - at least I have my wages to enjoy. There's ale to be drunk and all." Nicholas trailed off, realising that George was no longer listening, instead peering into the shadows in the general direction of the track that led from the manor to Locksley Village. "What is it?" asked Nicholas. George shook his head, as if to clear it.

"Could've sworn I saw something." He squinted back into the distance where, just seconds beforehand, the light from the torches in and around the manor had been reflected in a pair of bright peering in from behind a bush.

***

Robin edged back into the outskirts of the forest, where the gang was waiting.

"He's on the main door. The house is in total lockdown; we can't get any closer or we'll be seen. You're on your own now Marian." She took the reins of the horse as she nodded.

"I know," she said. "And I'm ready."

"If anything goes wrong…" began Robin.

"Then you don't interfere," Marian snapped, her whisper a strict warning.

"I was going to say whistle. We'll be on hand to help." Marian nodded slowly in consent, then took a deep breath.

"Good luck," whispered Djaq, the rest of the gang following suit. Marian smiled warmly at them, then began to turn away. Before she had even taken six steps, Robin dashed after her.

"Marian!" he started. "Wait!" She turned to face him, sighing impatiently.

"What now?" she asked in exasperation.

"I just wanted to saw I don't blame you."

"Blame me for what?"

"For doing this. If there was any way I could stop my visions of the war then I would do whatever it takes." Marian exhaled slowly.

"Robin, that is not the only reason I am doing this."

"I know. But it is easier for me to say that it is." He stepped up to her and kissed her softly, his lips lingering tenderly before he pulled away again. "Now go."


	10. Shadows

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) Till Death Do Us Part. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisbourne. Contains spoilers for Series 1 and 2. There shouldn't be any Series 3 spoilers or references, unless I had already had the idea before seeing this series, in which case any similarities are coincidental. However, from this point on there are likely to be spoilers for Series 3 in my author's notes, so BE WARNED!!**

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq (I'm only mentioning these two or I'll spoil it for you).**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Robin Hood or anything linked to it; that belongs to the BBC (the dear old Beeb who killed off Marian *curses at them loudly*), much as I hate to admit it. I do however, own Nicholas and any other characters I decide to introduce, so please do not steal.**

***

Chapter 10 – Shadows

"What is the matter with you?" asked Nicholas tetchily, after the young guard jumped up from his seat on a hay bale yet _again_. It was now gone midnight, and his companion's constant belief that he had seen something in the gloom was irritating him. As if the fact that Marian hadn't yet showed up and Gisbourne was already inside wasn't enough for the undercover guard to be worried about.

"I swear there is someone out there," replied George, peering once more beyond the extent of the torchlight.

"It's an animal or something. Probably a fox, all right? If it was a person then they would have reached us by now. Just settle down and think of something else, yes?" Reluctantly, the younger man admitted defeat, and reclaimed his half of the bale, directing his eyes away from the path to the manor so that he could not react to every single glint of light in the eye of a deer or some other woodland inhabitant. Perhaps his father-in-law had been right to say he was going mad; maybe imagining things was just one symptom…

***

The woman silently led her horse towards the imposing manor house, her hooded face revealing no emotion. The task that lay ahead was so daunting that she was forced to stop dead for a couple of moments, in order to gather her wits. She put her hand to her neck, touching the gold locket that rested there as if for strength, and then to the letter that resided tucked into her belt (or the plaited string that served as a belt), her courage wavering.

_Do not be a fool,_ she reprimanded herself. _You made your decision – you can't turn back after all this._ Though this was not technically true, pride, curiosity and the memory of one haunted face drove her forwards. She took one final glance back at the shelter of the woods, before tugging on the reins of the gentle grey mare urging her up the path, her footsteps as uncertain as the outcome of their tread towards the shadowy Locksley Manor.

***

This time it was Nicholas who saw the flash of eyes in the dark, and it was George's turn to be startled into consciousness. Expecting that 'Samuel' had been as mistaken as he had been earlier, the younger man was astonished to see the four pinpricks of light approaching them. He instantly put his hand to his sword, prepared to draw it suddenly and apprehend these trespassers, but Nicholas held out his hand in a gesture that told him to wait.

"But what if-"

"Shh!" Nicholas interrupted George's protest, silencing him in time for the distinctive neigh of a horse to carry over the distance between soldiers and shadows.

Though it took the two men a fair while to adjust to the lack of light in the distance, soon they were able to identify the two approaching figures, or at least recognise that one was a woman and the other a horse. George's hand dropped back from the hilt of his sword to his side, satisfied that the newcomers appeared to pose no threat; it was only a woman after all, and an apparently unarmed one at that. What could she do? Suffocate him with her skirts? Set her ferocious steed on him?

Nicholas noticed the gesture and hid a smile; if George had seen what Marian had shown herself to be capable of in the months he had known her, then young George might not be so hasty to drop his weapon at the sight of a 'defenceless' woman. Indeed, he highly doubted that George, or any of Nottinghamshire for that matter, suspected that the infamous Nightwatchman, defender and saviour of the poor and scourge of the Sheriff and his guards, was in fact a woman, and a noblewoman at that.

"What do we do with her?" George elbowed Nicholas in the ribs urgently.

"What do you think?" replied Nicholas. "We tell her to go away."

"But look at her! She's hardly going to slit our throats and then stab Sir Guy in his bed, is she?"

"Well, looks can be deceiving." Nicholas stood up straight and pushed George ahead of him, so they both stepped out of the shadows and into the view of the woman for the first time. She jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of two guards, but didn't falter in her approach. Neither did she express her relief in recognising one of the faces before her; to do so could be fatal for them both, not to mention would ruin that which she had fought so hard to achieve. No, she would not mess up now.

"This area is prohibited." Nicholas and George stood side by side, their shields a metal barricade between the woman and the door to the manor. "No one is allowed to enter."

"I bring a message for the steward of this house, Andrew of Thornton," replied the woman, gripping the reins of her horse anxiously.

"There is no Andrew of Thornton here," replied George gruffly. The woman frowned slightly, her face revealing her worry.

"Please," she insisted, "I have a message from his sister. She told me that he works as Steward of Locksley Manor. He must be here!"

"Didn't you hear what I said? There is no Andrew of Thornton here, steward or otherwise. Now leave before we-"

"George," interrupted Nicholas. "What is the steward called?"

"Well he's not called Andrew, I know that at least," replied George, indignant that Nicholas had butted in when he had been doing so well at the whole iron-hearted guard façade. Or so he though; but he wasn't to know that by substantially lowering his voice he would only achieve the tone of a child mimicking his father.

"Isn't he called Thornton though?" pressed Nicholas. George shrugged in response, his eyes now wandering about the woman's figure.

"Might be, might not be."

"Well the last time I checked, 'Thornton' sounds more like a town than a name. What if our steward here is actually this Andrew of Thornton and he's just been known as his birthplace? Eh?" Now it was George's turn to be elbowed sharply.

"S'pose it's possible," he replied gruffly, his eyes now focused back on Nicholas' face instead of what was hidden beneath the woman's long grey cloak.

"Go get the sergeant," urged Nicholas in a whisper, finally getting the other man's full attention.

"Why me?" hissed George. "Why don't you go, and I'll stay here with the lady…" George nodded his head in her direction

"Because you happen to be married, remember? Put it this way, I'm taking you out of temptation's way." Nicholas winked at the younger man, who grumbled half-heartedly.

"Fine," he muttered, resigned to his task. He turned away with an exaggerated sigh of exasperation, only to turn back moments later when Nicholas caught his arm

"Hey," grinned Nicholas. "Think of your Ellie. Or rather, think about how you're escaping the wrath of one very angry father-in-law." George returned the grin and, after shooting one last appreciative glance in the woman's direction, winked suggestively at Nicholas, before finally walking towards the side door to the manor (since the front was well and truly locked down) in search of the sergeant of the guards. Once George was out of earshot, Nicholas turned hurriedly to Marian.

"Thank God you turned up," he whispered quickly. "Gisbourne's already here, and my watch is about to end, and then you wouldn't have gotten in." She put up her hand to silence him, and then began whispering just as fast.

"We don't have much time until the sergeant comes, so I'll say this quickly. Whatever happens we have to lure Guy outside. Do whatever it takes, you understand?" Nicholas nodded. "Robin and the others will be on constant watch; they're hiding in the woods close enough to hear if anything goes amiss. If they send any sort of message to either of us, there'll be a grey pebble involved in some way or form. That is the _only_ indicator that something has come from them, do you hear? Not even the tags or Robin's arrows count anymore, alright? Robin thinks that Guy may suspect there's someone here working for him, and might try to ensnare them with a message from the gang, so unless a grey pebble is mentioned or is present (maybe included in a letter or something), do _not_ fall for it.

"Understood," agreed Nicholas.

"Oh, and if I whistle, that means the plan's failed and I need help. Two whistles means I'm out of danger, but get yourself out of here."

"But how do we get Gisbourne outside?"

Marian faltered. Here was something she had not managed to plan, but there wasn't time to discuss it now; the sound of a door opening could be heard in the silence between hushed whispers. The sergeant was coming.

"Improvise," she murmured. "And pray it works."

***

**I thought I'd better clear a few things up for the next chapter. I have decided that Thornton (the steward at Locksley Manor)'s first name is actually Andrew, since the suffix '-ton' in Thornton is often used in place names. In the medieval times, people often adopted the places they came from as their surname (for example, Allan A Dale), so I thought that 'Thornton' was more like a surname than a first names, so I've given him the first name of Andrew. In the actual series Thornton mentions that his wife is dead, and yet in the credits for one of the episodes (I can't remember which one) the name 'Miss Thornton' is listed as a character. Now, I've assumed that she also works at Locksley Manor like her father, perhaps as a maid, or kitchen girl. Since I couldn't very well call her 'Miss Thornton' (because I have a thing about people having to have first names so that I can remember who is who), I had to give her a name. Several names of staff (Hannah, Mary, Charles, Ian and Thomas) at LM (Locksley Manor) are given in the credits, but none of the actresses' names match the one who played 'Miss Thornton', so I have assumed that none of these names are hers. Therefore, I have given her the name Lucy. So, if it wasn't already obvious, I'm now telling you that Andrew and Lucy Thornton will be in the next chapter.**

**Now we get on to the important part (for me anyway). Please please please review, as it tells me that people are still reading this despite the huge gap between postings. If possible, constructive criticism would be good, and I take anonymous reviews by the way.**

**xxx Nia**

**P.S. The 'Might be, might not be' bit was for my Dad =)**

**Response to reviews:**

**MeganMash – Unfortunately, I can't claim credit for that bit; I borrowed it from the series. Allan says it in Series 2, possibly Episode 8 or 9. I just couldn't resist it =D**

**Genevieve05 – Sorry I hadn't updated in ages, but here it is! Next chapter should be up soon =)**


	11. The Lion's Lair

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) Till Death Do Us Part. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisbourne.**

**SPOILERS: Spoilers for Series 1 and 2.**** There shouldn't be any Series 3 spoilers or references, unless I had already had the idea before seeing this series, in which case any similarities are coincidental. However, from this point on there are likely to be spoilers for Series 3 in my author's notes, so BE WARNED!!**

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq, Guy & 'Rose'**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Robin Hood, except for the 3 series box sets and a poster. I do however own Nicholas (plus some other OCs) and, as far as I know, this plot, so please do not steal. Otherwise I'll let the bloodthirsty poodles go…**

***

Chapter 11 – The Lion's Lair

Guy of Gisbourne's sergeant of guards had been very put out when the young George had interrupted his evening acquainting himself with him master's supply of the many ales and brews of Nottinghamshire – even more so when he realised he would actually have to emerge from his comfortable perch by the fire and resolve the matter (something about the old steward's sister). He perked up however, when he saw the messenger, and was quick to take in the ill-fitting brown garment more resembling an oversized sack than a dress, and the sorry length of string that held the material to the girl's slight frame.

Marian noticed the sergeant eyeing her up as he approached them, and found herself in a situation reminiscent of her first meeting with Guy. Granted, she was now approaching the age of twenty-five, and was not quite the aloof nineteen-year-old resplendent at her father's side in a rich dress of midnight blue, her hair held from her face with an intricate silver clasp, but she was still a woman in the presence of an amorous man. Then again, perhaps amorous wasn't quite the best word to describe the leering oaf in front of her. Lustful and repulsive were a better choice of words, if first impressions were anything to go by; his forehead, greatly exposed by his receding hairline, and bathed in a sheen of sweat, projected too far ahead of his deep-set bleary eyes, and another trail of perspiration – this time hovering above his upper lip – quivered as he licked his lips.

"What seems to be the problem?" the sergeant asked Nicholas, in a tone a far sight less obtrusive than his earlier bark of orders. Ever the dutiful soldier, Nicholas complied and explained the situation, though how much the other many actually registered was unclear, preoccupied as he was with adjusting his think woollen shirt over the vast expanse of his belly – amassed from years of sampling the wares of Nottingham's alehouses.

"-I know you said no-one was to enter, but I though, given the circumstances-"

"You can leave," interrupted the sergeant. Though the comment was directed at Nicholas, he never took his eyes off Marian; or rather, Marian's chest. She shifted uncomfortably, but held her stance, and flashed a glance a Nicholas, then looked pointedly towards the upper floor of the manor, and then back again. Oblivious to the exchange, the sergeant dismissed Nicholas with a wave of one hand, and ushered Marian in the direction of the stables with the other at the small of her back – a gesture she suspected was supposed to appear helpful and put her at ease, but in actual fact made her more uncomfortable than ever. She was in the lair of a lion, and she sincerely hoped she was not walking straight into its jaws.

***

The second Marian had been led out of sight, Nicholas pelted into the servant's quarters, almost tripping over the stable cat in the process. It mewled in protest at the disturbance, then padded out the open door, while Nicholas sprinted into the next room, where an anxious Thornton was waiting. A couple of hastily exchanged words later, they were both dashing back out the door, and this time burst through the heavy wooden door into the manor house itself, just as the first sounds of a scuffle emanated from the direction of the stables.

***

"Get off me!" shouted Marian as she hit the sergeant's arms away from her waist and backed away.

"No need to act all pious girl, I'm only being friendly." The man advanced on her again, his arms reaching out to trap her in a corner of the loosebox he had pushed her into. She ducked underneath one arm, and kicked out behind her, her foot impacting with the back of his knee and forcing him down onto the floor, a cacophony of sound reverberating out into the darkness.

***

"What is going on?!" bellowed Gisbourne furiously. He flung open the door to his room with such a force that it ricocheted off the wall, revealing his steward who had been pounding on the wood. His face softened slightly, but before he could utter a word, Thornton launched into his plea, as told to by Nicholas.

"My lord, please – Lucy's not in her bed, and one of your guards said he'd seen his sergeant drag a girl into the stables. Help me, please, she's my little girl," Thornton implored desperately, almost ready to drop to his knees and beg.

Almost instantaneously, Gisbourne swung out of the door and swept down the wooden stairs, drawing his sword from the scabbard that, since his flight from the Holy Land, had resided permanently at his side. Thornton behind him, he dashed past the waiting Nicholas, through the open side door, and outside, seemingly unaware of the rain now teeming down. He raced through splashing mud to the stables and launched himself over a pile of hay bales and into the stables, just in time to witness his sergeant draw back a fist and punch a curled up ball of brown material in the stomach.

Reacting instinctively, he dragged the man away from the crouched figure and jabbed the hilt of his sword into the man's throat, before dropping it and hurtling him head-first through the flimsy timber of the stable walls. As the sergeant attempted to crawl away, Gisbourne struck him again – first in the jaw, then in the stomach, and then between his legs. As the man writhed in the mud, Gisbourne looked around for his sword, but was forced out of the way by Nicholas, who, having grabbed one of the splintered wall panels, swung it round to impact with the sergeant's head, rendering him unconscious.

With a nod of thanks to Nicholas, satisfied that the sergeant was dealt with – at least for now – he went over to where Thornton, having finally found a way over the barricade of hay bales that had blocked his way into the stables, stood next to the girl. She hugged her knees to her chin, her face pressed against the ground and hidden by her hair.

"Lucy," murmured Thornton softly as he knelt beside her. Gently he brushed her hair from her face, to reveal no his daughter, but a face that was unmistakable.

"No," breathed Gisbourne raggedly as he gazed upon Marian. "Marian…It can't be…Marian…" He stumbled forwards to his knees and seized her forearm, in need of proof she was real. She pulled away, though in vain, as Gisbourne only grasped tighter, before eventually letting go and dropping her arm as if he had been burned. "No!" he yelled, in a fury of confusion. "No! You have plagued my dreams for long enough, and you are _not_ about to haunt my daytime!" The woman opened her eyes weakly, only just able to convey her confusion in the barest of whispers.

"My name is not Marian," she breathed shakily. "It's Rose."

***

**Oh I love cliffies =)**

**I'm making an effort to keeping my notes short from now on, but I'm sorry this took so long to post (and that it's so short) – I had writer's block and couldn't think how to get Marian from the road to the manor. Silly, I know, but there you go.**

**As ever please ****review**** - even a tiny little one makes my day – and/or give constructive criticism.**

**P.S. Did you notice I've added an extra pairing to the top bit…?**

**R E V I E W !**

**=D**

**crabbyhopper – Actually it's **_**Lucy**_** Thornton not Hannah Thornton, and she'll be coming up in the next chapter. For visualisation, she'd be played by Katie McGrath (Morgana in the BBC series of Merlin), only without the Irish accent.**

**Genevieve05 – I was a bit confused myself – I had to re-read the whole thing (including TDDUP) to remember =/**


	12. He Wanted To Weep

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) Till Death Do Us Part. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisbourne.**

**SPOILERS: Spoilers for Series 1 and 2. There shouldn't be any Series 3 spoilers or references, unless I had already had the idea before seeing this series, in which case any similarities are coincidental. However, from this point on there are likely to be spoilers for Series 3 in my author's notes, so BE WARNED!!**

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq, Guy & 'Rose'**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Robin Hood, except for the 3 series box sets and a poster. I do however own Nicholas (plus some other OCs) and, as far as I know, this plot, so please do not steal. Otherwise I'll let the bloodthirsty poodles go…**

***

Chapter 12 – He Wanted To Weep

"_My name is not Marian," she breathed shakily. "It's Rose."_

***

"_What_?!" exclaimed Guy in utter confusion. "What do you mean, you're not… Marian!" He grasped her by the arms and shook her hard, as if that would change her mind, but as she fell limp in his arms it was clear even to him that she was in no state to explain. She shouldn't even be alive – she couldn't be! But perhaps if she didn't know who she was, or he was, then she would not know who Hood was either… No, Hood must surely be the one who brought her back to England; although, had he done so he would never have let Marian within an arrow's distance of him ever again. Guy had to assume that Hood knew nothing of Marian's survival, and that he-

"Sir?" Nicholas stood at Gisbourne's shoulder hesitantly. "What should I do with…" He indicated the knocked out sergeant with a jerk of his head, not knowing the man's man, and thinking it unwise to show any form of deference to the man (even if his role as a guard was only a pretence) after what had happened.

Guy shook himself from his trance and glanced at the unconscious man in repulsion. "Tie him up," he ordered. "I'll deal with him later". He looked back to the clearly injured Marian, or Rose, or whatever she chose to call herself. Still not entirely trusting himself not to have made the entire situation all up, Guy had to do something to make completely sure. He withdrew a short knife from a hidden sheath strapped to his left calf. Nicholas drew and involuntary breath of horror. Was he really going to…?

"My lord?" he approached Gisbourne cautiously, prepared to strike the dagger from his hand and whistle for help at any moment, but when Gisbourne grasped a fold of Marian's dress with the other hand he hesitated. This would not be the action of someone about to stab someone else. Unaware either of Nicholas' words, or his tense stance, Guy slid his knife along the material, tearing a slash in the dress across Marian's abdomen. He traced his finger along first the scar she had obtained as the Nightwatchman, then second along the gash acquired as herself, both inflicted by him. Though his finger hovered just a fraction from her skin, Guy could not bring himself to touch the wounds, though whether that was repulsion at what he had done, restraint for the sake of her dignity, or pure astoundment that she had survived not only one, but two stabbings, was impossible to tell, even for him.

"My lord?" repeated Nicholas. This time he was heard, and Guy pulled his hand back, jostling some sort of parchment tucked into Marian's belt in his retreat. Since Marian appeared to be only sleeping now, he allowed his curiosity to get the better of him, and slid the letter from its resting place, broke the seal, and started reading.

_To my brother Andrew,_

_I pray that this message is delivered to you safely, and with it, Rose. Since I first joined the Abbey as a girl and became a professed nun I have had little contact outside the walls, so I do not know if you are even still alive, but if you are reading this then I must ask a favour of you. This girl came to our Abbey a little over a month ago, suddenly left at our door, ill and severely wounded, having no recollection of her past. We named her Rose because of the locket she was found wearing, but apart from that nothing is known of her. We took her in, and she remained with us for several weeks._

_It became apparent however, that she was not suited to a monastic lifestyle, so after speaking with her on the matter, I decided to send her to live with a friend of the convent and her daughter in the village. After only a few days, both mother and daughter fell victim to a fever that killed half of the village - may they rest in peace. Rose survived, but now she has nowhere to go. We would have her back at the Abbey, but she is clearly not suited to life here._

_So I have turned to you, my brother, for help. Perhaps you can give her a home, and help her to find employment in Nottingham? She is intelligent, and apparently educated - though she cannot recall her past, she can read and write as well as any scribe - and she is an able cook too. If it is possible, please do all you can to help her - she is a good girl and deserves a chance and a choice in life. If you cannot help, then we will of course, take her back into the Abbey and find another home for her, but if you can help then I ask that you take her in and look after her. Please treat her as though she was family - indeed, we are all children of God, and this child has no one else._

_God bless you,_

_Mother Superior Christine of Ransford Abbey_

Andrew? Mother Superior? Ransford Abbey? Guy had never even heard of the place, let alone its Mother Superior. Even more puzzling though, was this Andrew for whom the letter was written. He was from Nottingham (or at least lived in Nottingham), that much was evident, but other than that he was a mystery. After re-reading the letter, Guy started to fold the parchment back up along its creases, intent on demanding an explanation from Marian – or Rose – when she awoke. It was then that he noticed further writing on the reverse side of the letter. It was a name – Andrew of Thornton – followed by the words 'Steward of Locksley Manor'.

Thornton? Guy's eyes flashed upwards and met the concerned gaze of his steward. The old man recoiled slightly at the intensity of his master's gaze, but did not blink, not even when Gisbourne brought himself up to his full height and towered over him.

"Do you have a sister?" he demanded, barely managing to keep his voice steady.

"My lord?" asked Thornton uneasily.

"Answer the question!" Gisbourne's bellow made the other man jump in shock.

"Yes, sir," he replied. "I do."

"Tell me about her."

"Sir?" Still feigning confusion, Thornton played his innocence well.

"Just do it," spat Gisbourne, his patience completely worn down by now.

"W-well, I haven't seen her for years, I-I don't… Christine left home when she was eighteen to join a convent and I've hardly seen her since. We were like any brother and sister before then I suppose – it seemed to be her job to find ways to annoy me and she would take every opportunity to do so. Our parents were determined to treat her just as they treated me – they didn't force her to anything just because she was female, but she liked doing things like sewing and cooking regardless of that. She became engaged when she was about seventeen but her fiancé died in a fire, and shortly afterwards she took her vows and entered the Church. The last I heard she was the Mother Superior in an abbey near Scarborough…" Thornton trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

Luckily it seemed Guy seemed satisfied with his answer and did not press the matter further. As far as he was concerned, this confirmed the validity of the letter. The elderly steward was one of the very few people whom Guy trusted absolutely. Whether he would be so trusting had he known that Thornton had owed his life to Robin's father was uncertain, but as it was he remained totally unaware of this fact, and thus had no reason to doubt his words. Especially not when to do so would insinuate that Robin knew of Marian's survival and yet was not at present storming Locksley Manor in an attempt to save her.

"My lord?" Nicholas' tone was insistent. "My lord, whether or not this woman is who you think she is, she _needs_ a physician. She is-"

"No," snapped Guy sharply. "No one else can learn she is here."

"But sir…" began Thornton in protest.

Guy cut him off. "_No one_, Thornton. Is that understood?" He looked first at his steward, who nodded, and then at Nicholas. "You. Soldier. What is your name?"

"Samuel, sir." It had been collectively decided that while undercover, Nicholas would use the same alias he had adopted for the journey back from the Holy Land, albeit this time minus the heavily pregnant sister-in-law and company.

"You are to be my new sergeant." Nicholas nodded, surprised. "How did this woman get past the guards?"

"She came to the front of the house where George and I were posted. She said she had a letter for an Andrew of Thornton. We thought we remembered the steward's name was Thornton, so George went and got the sergeant, and he took her here I guess. We heard a scream and came running. I saw you run in and I followed, telling George to wait outside. The you know the rest, sir."

Guy nodded absently. "And this 'George' is still outside is he?"

"I believe so, sir."

"Get him to send two men to the front of the house, and then tie _him," _he jerked his thumb at his former sergeant, "up and guard him." Nicholas bowed and left. When he returned, it was with an uneasy face.

"My lord, Thornton's daughter is outside."

"Lucy," breathed Thornton in faked relief, despite having known she was fine all along.

"Bring her in."

Moments later Nicholas returned with a young woman, her hair coming loose from the end of its long plait, with which she had been toying anxiously, worried for both her father and herself.

"Where have you been?" reprimanded Thornton, his paternal worry still feigned, but nevertheless convincing.

"I fell asleep outside," she replied. "I went to try and find some quiet, away from the house and all the guards, and I-" She broke off, noticing for the first time that her master (and the cause of the guards) was also present. Immediately she bowed her head. "Sir Guy, I am sorry – I didn't-" He waved away her apology and indicated the woman on the floor.

"Is that…?"

Both her father and Gisbourne nodded, and she composed her shock before kneeling beside Marian to assess the damage.

"Will she be alright?" Guy asked, all traces of his anger now gone, to be replaced by genuine concern. He paced across the small area of the stable they were in.

"I think so, sir. She looks exhausted, but apart from these old wounds uninjured. She's just sleeping."

Guy stopped his pacing and leant down to scoop up Marian in his arms. He peered through a crack in the stable wall, before indicating to Nicholas to open the door, poking his head out to check the coast was indeed clear, and then crossing the yard and re-entering the manor through the still-open side door, with Nicholas, Thornton and Lucy all following uncertainly.

***

They traipsed silently across the floor and up the stairs, Guy wincing slightly when several steps creaked loudly under their weight, but mercifully, the house was empty of guards to hear it, they having been dismissed either to various posts or their dwellings in the formerly bustling servants quarters. Guy entered one of the smaller bedchambers and laid Marian on the bed, in a fashion that would have been called _tender_ had it nor been executed by him. Nicholas was surprised; he had heard Marian's insistence that Gisbourne was repentant, or at least remorseful, but having heard the gang's account of him, he had not believed a man like that could show any form of remorse. Of course, it didn't help that, like Robin had been, he had been led to believe that Marian did have feelings for Guy of Gisbourne, however small and well-hidden.

But here was a man who had been described a 'monster', being _tender _towards another human being. Though the man's face was unreadable, his actions spoke for themselves. As Guy stood back away from the bed he had to hide his hands behind his back so that the other three present would not see them shaking, he turned his face from the bed so he could not see the tear in the dress that revealed two near-fatal wounds – wounds _he _had inflicted in his rage – and he ground his teeth together to stop him crying out in fury at himself, at Marian, at Robin, at the Sheriff.

"Wait outside," he muttered to the three observing him in silence. Once they had gone, he sat down on the end of the bed, his head in his hands. He wanted to weep because whatever God that had forsaken him as a child seemed to have had now had mercy on him and brought Marian back. He wanted to weep because she could not remember the fateful day in the Holy Land where he had driven his sword into her belly and then left her for dead. He wanted to weep because she could not remember him burning down her home. He wanted to weep because she could not remember their disastrous wedding day, her punching him, her fleeing the church and her discarding the ring. He wanted to weep because she could not remember Robin Hood, the man she proclaimed to love. The man she helped as the Nightwatchman. The man who must not, under _any _circumstances, learn of her survival. Guy of Gisbourne had been granted one final chance, and he was _not _going to mess it up this time.

Having never actually been asleep, Marian heard him stand back up, and decided it was time to 'wake up'. As Guy turned round to look at her, he saw her stirring slowly. He knelt by her side and took her hand. This was it.

***

"Marian," he whispered. She opened her eyes, and frowned in confusion. After blinking sleepily at him for a few seconds, she snatched her hand away.

"My name is not Marian. It's-"

"Rose, I know," he butted in. "But I also know that you have only been 'Rose' for a very short while."

"How do you-?" She put her hand to her belt. "The letter." She sat up sharply, fixing her eyes on him in an accusatory glare. "You read it."

"I had every right to," he replied. She regarded him warily.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"My name," he replied, "is Sir Guy of Gisbourne." He inhaled deeply. "And your real name, 'Rose', is Lady Marian of Knighton, my fiancée."

***

**What a porky pie! And just when he could have had a clean start, he has to go back to his old tricks… =/**

**Apologies if there are random spaces dotted throughout this chapter; my 'Shift' button has decided it wants to be promoted to a spacebar, and is protesting at my refusal to let it.**

**Also, sorry I didn't post this yesterday, but I went for a day out with friends to celebrate our results =)**

**If anyone still is confused about what the whole Marian/'Rose' thing is about, all will be explained fully next chapter.**

**I'm going to try to reply to reviews individually from now on, to force myself to minimise my notes at the bottom. Since I can't reply to anonymous reviews in that way, I'll still reply to them here.**

**Clari – Yeah sorry about the embarrassing lack of updates =/ I'll try my best to update faster, but like I said, writer's block… =/**

**Now, go and REVIEW. Not that I have developed some form of obsession over them…**


	13. Shades of Grey

**Summary: Sequel to (and set immediately after) Till Death Do Us Part. Centred on Marian, with whole gang featuring, as well as the Sheriff and Gisborne.**

**SPOILERS: Spoilers for Series 1 and 2.**** There shouldn't be any Series 3 spoilers or references, unless I had already had the idea before seeing this series, in which case any similarities are coincidental. However, my notes probably ****will**** contain spoilers, so BEWARE =P**

**Pairings: Robin & Marian, Will & Djaq, Guy & 'Rose'**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Robin Hood, except for the 3 series box sets and a poster. I do however own Nicholas (plus some other OCs) and, as far as I know, this plot, so please do not steal. Otherwise I'll let the bloodthirsty poodles go…**

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Chapter 13 – Shades of Grey

"_Who are you?" she asked._

"_My name," he replied, "is Sir Guy of Gisborne." He inhaled deeply. "And your real name, 'Rose', is Lady Marian of Knighton, my fiancée."_

***

"I'm your _what_?!" she exclaimed in disbelief, wincing slightly. She might have been perfectly capable when in the best of health to fight off fully grown men, but the blatancy of this lie was like a stab to the belly. Figuratively. Thankfully, Guy took her pain as a sign of the punch she had received not one hour ago.

"You should not jump up like that," he said, putting out a hand to her arm in order to guide her back to resting against the pillows, but she jerked away sharply.

"Then explain yourself," she retorted, her voice cold but her face impassive.

Moment of truth.

"What do you want to know?" he asked blindly, knowing just how much was depending on his answers.

"Everything," she replied. "You have read the letter evidently; you know my situation. You claim to know my past. How can I know what you say is true?"

Guy faltered. Not quite the question he had hoped for. "You can't," he replied honestly. "But perhaps what I say will prompt your memory."

Naturally, this was exactly what he did _not_ want to happen, but nevertheless he had to answer, and what else could he say? That of course she couldn't believe him because everything he said was an utter string of lies? That he wouldn't be able to give her the option of _not _believing him? That she should get away from him as fast as she could because he was like fire; if she let herself be enchanted by its captivating flames and glow, then she would burn in its furious depths, because Guy of Gisborne took no prisoners? The _truth_?

"You are not who you think you are, 'Rose'. You're not just a former novice." He was pushing for time, trying to delay, and she knew it.

"Then who am I?" she pressed. "Apart from your '_fiancée'_." It was impossible for Guy to miss the scepticism in her voice as she hissed the word. Evidently this would not be an easy task.

"You are Marian." Stating the obvious, but he had to start somewhere. "Lady Marian of Knighton, to be exact." Always start with the facts. 'Rose' looked at him incredulously, but he hurried on before she could voice her astonishment. "Your father was Sir Edward of Knighton, once the Sheriff of Nottingham, and your mother was Kate."

Her surprise was genuine this time; she had no idea how he knew that about her mother. _She_ certainly had never spoken to him on the subject – she had never spoken to anyone on the subject for that matter. Well, except for Robin that is, but she had been six at the time, and he ten, so it was before he had gone to war, when everything had been different. Where things had been so much simpler and care-free; where a tree was simply good for climbing (and therefore disobeying fathers), not posing a potential threat by concealing armed soldiers behind.

"You refer to them in the past tense," she murmured, her accusatory tone still evident.

"Your mother died long before I met you and your father almost a year ago. I held you as you mourned him, do you remember?" She shook her head. _You missed out the bit where you had no respect for my grief, and tried to take advantage of my vulnerability by kissing me. Do you remember that part?_

"No."

"Do you remember your father?"

Another shake of her head. "No. No, I do not."

"You remember nothing at all?"

"No, I do not! Must you keep reminding me of that?"

"Sorry." At least he had the decency to look half abashed. Not that that made up for the yarn he had managed to spin, and in such a short space of time, though she had not honestly expected him to admit to stabbing her. Several times.

"Do you know what happened to me?" she asked suddenly. He frowned in confusion, pinching the bridge of his nose unconsciously.

"I do not underst-"

"My wounds." She indicated her stomach. "I have two wounds here. Well, one. The other is a scar now. But I do not know how I got them." Guy hesitated, choosing his words very carefully.

"The first wound was a case of mistaken identity. The man who stabbed you believed you to be someone else. He was suitably punished." She contemplated his words, appalled; was he talking about himself stabbing the Nightwatchman, or was he making up another story? She honestly could not tell.

"Did you kill him?" she asked, seemingly horrified.

"I did not need to," he said, not directly answering the question. "He drove himself to the depths of despair." Still she could not determine who he was talking about.

"And the other wound?"

"You were taken from me, by a heinous man. I could not stop it, and you were stabbed. I thought you were dead." _Malicious?_ thought Marian. _Surely he does not mean – not Robin? Or is he referring to the Sheriff? Or Prince John even?_ _Or is he so repentant that he would say that about himself? _She was slowly beginning to understand what Robin had meant about there not being two distinctive sides of life. She just could not understand Gisborne; he seemed to be one of the many shades of grey between the two, but which one she could not figure out.

"And that is why you were so shocked to see me?" she asked. He nodded.

_Liar. It was because you were sure you'd killed me._

"And I have beaten myself up about it every day; it was my duty to look after you. I asked you to stay with me, and I promised I would protect you."

"Well you have not done a great job at it, have you?"

"You would not allow me to!" he protested. "Everything I did to help you sidestepped around like it wasn't even there! You have been stubborn and obstinate since the day I first met you!"

_Finally,_ she thought, there was some definite truth in what he said. Guy looked astonished at his words. "I did not mean that," he said regretfully.

"I think you did," she countered, then paused for a while. "But I am glad you said it," she admitted softly. He looked at her incredulously, his question unspoken. "You were making it sound like I was some sort of saint!"

"Can I be blamed for that?" he asked indignantly. "You come back to me when I have given up and think you are dead, only to find that you do not remember me at all, and seem to hate the fact that I claim to know you. Can you really blame me for trying not to give you a reason to hate me more by insulting you?"

"Be that as it may, I would rather be told the whole truth, not just a fragmented version that depicts me as an angel. Even without my memory, I have come to realise that I find a little rebellion quite exciting. That is partly why I have left the abbey."

"Your letter just said-"

"Oh you read it didn't you?" This time it was not accusatory. "I forgot that. Tell me then - what generous excuse for my departure did Mother Christine give?" Guy picked up the letter from its seat on the trunk at the end of the bed, and held it out to her. She scanned through the words, until she picked out what she was looking for.

"'Not suited to a monastic lifestyle'?" she laughed. "Well, I did say she was generous."

"What did you do?" Guy was intrigued by this carefree Marian.

"How do you know I did anything?" she frowned.

"I assumed, by your reaction to her 'excuse', that your departure was perhaps a relief." He immediately berated himself for his choice of words. "Not a relief – that is not what I meant."

"I know what you mean," she replied. "But I didn't do anything too terrible," she insisted. "I just did not like being cooped up inside the walls. I only tried sneaking out one evening and when I came back there was such a commotion. And I wasn't even a postulant! Imagine if I became a professed nun – I would just feel so trapped!" She trailed off, seeing his sombre countenance, and decided to lighten the mood. "Plus, my hymn-singing was appalling," she added. He locked eyes with her, unsure whether or not to take her seriously, but she laughed softly, so he permitted himself a small, almost imperceptible smile.

"I do not hate you, by the way," she confessed suddenly, shocking herself at both her words, and her inability to understand whether or not she was lying. She wanted to hate him, and she knew she should, and yet there was a chance that was only lying so that he could have a clean start with her; she just felt so confused. "But I hate the fact that I know nothing of my past," she continued, "and I hate myself for not being able to truly believe what you say."

Guy considered her words. He crossed the room and sat down beside her, hesitantly laying a hand on her arm. He was not wearing his leather gloves now, she noticed. When he spoke, it was with an undertone of confidence that had not been there before her confession.

"Then I will help you to remember."

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**What did you think? Hopefully I've managed to introduce the Guy/'Rose' pairing a little bit, but there will be more to come.**

**Now, I need a little bit of help from you guys, my avid readers =) I'm looking for some good Guy/Marian moments in the series, and I'd appreciate some suggestions. Even a vague idea would be great – I have all 3 box-sets (not that series 3 would be much help here), but that's almost 20 hours of footage to trawl through, and I barely have enough time on my hands as it is! If you could pretty please either send me a PM, or post in a review, even one moment that you liked, that would be such a huge help!**

**xxx Nia**

**P.S. Look how short my author's notes are this time!**


	14. Relocation

**Chapter 14 – Relocation**

As was to be expected by Gisborne's early arrival, another return was brought forwards – this one even more of a secret than the first. The residents of Locksley had been forced out of their homes with the arrival of Thomas of Worcester as Vaisey's 'replacement' so that the village could be used as a garrison (with the evicted families having to seek refuge in Knighton or Clun, or with relatives elsewhere, or religious shelters like Kirklees Abbey), so there were no witnesses to the comings and goings of the manor's inhabitants. Even the guards of the manor were completely separated from the guards in the barracks, with the latter faction under the impression that the soldiers adorned with the slashes of maroon among their chainmail were the elite group of soldiers responsible for the personal safety of the new sheriff, and that Locksley was their exclusive quarters when they retired after their shifts.

The only indications to Marian of the Sheriff's imminent return was that Nicholas (who Guy had now adopted in full confidence as his new sergeant following his actions since Marian had arrived) had spent the entire morning closeted with Gisborne, while Thornton and Lucy had been, on Guy's orders, fetching dark cloaks and getting horses ready. Marian's guess that they would not be remaining in Locksley for much longer was soon proved to be correct, when, at dusk, Lucy came to her with a black hooded cloak and informed her that they (she, Thornton, Marian, Guy, Nicholas and a select few guards) would be leaving for the castle at nightfall.

As the last light faded, Marian found herself sitting next to Gisborne as the unobtrusive black carriage jolted out of Locksley. Completely hidden by its walls, the carriage's occupants were safe, not only from outlaw ambushes (because Nicholas was driving the carriage), but also from the prying eyes of guards and anyone they happened to pass. Thornton and Lucy had already set off for Nottingham an hour ago, but Guy had waited for the cover of darkness until he and Marian left; he could not, under any circumstance, risk anyone seeing her. When asked to explain his paranoia by Marian, he brushed it aside with an evasive "I will tell you later" and the rest of the ride was spent in silence.

***

It was dark when she finally finished her work for the day, and pitch-black night as she traversed the corridors of Nottingham Castle, careful not to jostle the baby she held in her arms. She was exhausted, but had no other option other than to toil away in the castle kitchens until the callous brute of an overseer finally let her leave the cramped and stuffy confinement of the cellars, even though she had long finished her shift of work and, as usual, would not receive her money's worth. Her husband, though only a poor farmer himself, had been the main earner of the two of them, and so when he died of a fever the previous winter she had been left by herself, alone, and with a month-old baby to raise.

Nevertheless, six months on, Jenny was coping as well as any villager in these tough times. She was taxed no more than most, had a place to live in the home of a merchant and his family who had taken pity on her and given her a small room in exchange for cooking services, and while she was earning a pitiable amount, it was enough to sustain her and her daughter. She had a fairly quiet, relatively simple and rather contented life.

So it was quite a surprise for her to find herself carted off by a pair of 'Scarlet Guards' (as they had come to be called) to the castle dungeons, and locked into a cell, without warning or a given reason. She had heard the sound horses approaching, and had climbed up the ladder to the side of the portcullis to see better, resting her baby on the ground, safely tucked out of harm's way, so she wouldn't drop her and would have both hands free. From the top of the wall, her keen eyes were quick to pick out the inconspicuous yet ominous black carriage in the far distance, confirming that her hearing had been correct, though the sounds had carried well in the still night air so it was far further away than she had thought. There was no insignia to identify the carriage but it was surrounded by more of the Scarlet Guards who now dominated the castle – it was much like the carriage that had arrived discreetly very early that morning, although with less of an army enveloping it.

However, like the arrival of the first carriage, this one was just as much of a secret, so when a group of guards came across her, they had no choice but to restrain her, gag her, and take her down to the dungeons, leaving behind a small, frightened baby by the portcullis.

**

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**

Bit of a filler chapter, like the next few will be, and also inexcusably late (for which I apologise sincerely), but I _**think**_** I've got the plot sorted now, and I got this chapter up in time for Christmas – call it my present to you incredible people who have put up with my appallingly irregular and infrequent updating for so long (you guys are absolute angels, and I salute you and offer you all a mince pie :P)**

**I will try to have another chapter done over the holidays, but in the mean time, have a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**

**~ Nia (explanation of my sudden name change on my profile)**

**P.S. Thanks again to TheSingingGirl for all her help!**


	15. Mother Hood

**Chapter 15 - Mother Hood**

It was strange how much of a difference a couple of strips of material here and there could make to such a place like Nottingham, she mused. With the absence of Vaisey's emblem and colours paraded around, the town should, in theory, have seemed less imposing and threatening. In reality, the dark-red banners of Thomas of Worcester loomed overhead, a constant reminder of the blood-fuelled regime that both the 'current' and previous Sheriffs supported. Worcester might be a puppet, but he'd certainly adopted the same methods as Vaisey when it came to law enforcement, as Marian was made aware upon climbing out of the carriage.

At a glance in the dim moonlight, it looked no different to how it had almost eight months ago. It was still the fortress it always was, and still unsettled her. But it was even more shrouded in conceit and lies now, and her skin prickled with suspicion.

A slight pressure at the small of her back made her jump, and she whirled round, startled. Guy looked at her apologetically, but kept his finger pressed to his lips as an indication for her to keep quiet.

"This way," he whispered and guided her towards a low door to one side, which she knew led to a small storeroom off the kitchens. Guy motioned for one of the guards to keep a look at while he extracted a set of keys from his belt, and rifled through them. The sound of the keys jangling rang out loud and clear and Marian thought she heard Guy cursing under his breath.

But she was certain she had heard something else as well. She put her hand to Guy to still his hands, and the cacophony of jingling keys stopped.

"What is it?" Guy whispered into her ear, quite a bit too close for comfort.

"I'm sure I heard something," she whispered, still trying to catch the sound again.

"It was just the wind," he dismissed.

The loud, unmistakable sound of distressed crying proved him wrong.

"It's coming from over here..." Marian immediately followed the sound to the portcullis, and traced the cries until she reached the bottom of the ladder. Guy hurried after her, and stopped dead when he saw what Marian now held in her arms.

"Oh no," he warned, shaking his head. "Marian, leave it."

"Like you left me?" she countered angrily, her eyes blazing. "Leave it and let it die, like you left me for dead?"

"Its mother will be back soon," he insisted.

"No she won't," she replied. "Or else she wouldn't have left the child. The child is getting cold; its mother is long gone by now. And you expect me to leave it outside to die of cold? Not a chance. I will look after the child until I can find it a proper home." She undid the loose tie that held her cloak together and took it off, much to Guy's chagrin, and wrapped its warm folds around the baby. Almost immediately, the tears and cries ceased.

She was tempted to shoot a triumphant look at Guy, but he hurried her back to the shadows before she could do anything, and ushered her through the thick wooden door and into the shadowy halls of the castle.

***

Marian was unsurprised to see that she was being led towards the Great Hall; she had doubted very much that Vaisey would take long to reclaim his literal seat of power; his great wooden throne. Sure enough, after having been told by Guy to wait outside the room while he went in and explained the situation, when she finally did enter the room, there was the Sheriff in his overshadowing chair.

What she was _not _expecting to see though, was a _smile _on his face. A smile directed at her. Not ever a leering, scheming sneer, but an actual – dare she even say friendly?! – _smile._

Despite being even more on edge now, she didn't let her unease show; 'Rose' wouldn't even know who Vaisey was, let alone his true nature. She managed to give a sort of half-smile, trusting and yet shy of this 'stranger' at the same time.

"Marian!" he cried, apparently ecstatic to see her, although (thankfully!) he didn't try to embrace her.

She looked at Guy for an introduction.

"Marian, this is my master, Lord Vaisey," he complied.

She curtseyed demurely, careful not to jostle the child she held at her hip. "My Lord."

He noticed the baby.

"Well, well Gisborne," he mocked, turning to face his master-at-arms. "We _have _been busy, haven't we?"

Inwardly, Guy winced, but before he could say anything, the Sheriff had continued, turning back to Marian.

"You must be tired, my dear," he said. "Gisborne can show you your rooms, and then we can talk more later over dinner; I think a feast is in order to celebrate your return."

He motioned to Guy to lead her out. They were both all too happy to do so; Marian was downright disconcerted by the Sheriff's new personality, and Guy was well aware that Vaisey would have something up his sleeve. He would find out soon enough though; as he turned to close the doors behind himself and Marian, he caught a glare from the Sheriff that told him his master was none too pleased about Marian being there; he would have a _lot _to explain later.

***

Marian's new quarters were lavish and rich, and a far sight better than any of the rooms she had previously stayed in at the castle during Vaisey's reign. And she couldn't help but notice they were right next door to what have previously been Guy's rooms in the castle, which he would no doubt re-inhabit now. How her new rooms had already been prepared, she had no idea; she could only guess that the castle servants kept some rooms always prepared, in case of impromptu visits by other Black Knights.

She wondered how long it would be before she was moved back to her old, less sumptuous room. Indeed, she wondered how long she would (in appearances anyway) remain in Vaisey's favour. The whole doting uncle persona was undoubtedly a farce, concocted for some deeper scheme or another, but she still had to play along while it lasted. Hopefully though, that wouldn't be for long.

"I'll leave you to get settled," Guy announced. She nodded gratefully, and he made as if to leave. He paused in the doorway. "Nicholas will be on watch outside if you need anything."

"Is that really necessary?" she asked, surprised. "Do I really need a guard _within _the castle?"

"Please, Marian," he said. "Just humour me. I want you to be safe."

"And I am grateful," she conceded, and closed the door after him.

***

"You fool, Gisborne!" yelled the Sheriff. "If Hood knows she's here then he'll have both our necks!"

"He doesn't," Guy insisted. "No-one does, except for me, two guards – both loyal and who know what's good for them – and the old steward and his daughter. And now you. My sergeant has been dealt with-"

"But you brought her here!" Vaisey exclaimed. "It seems you didn't do a good enough job of killing her the first time. And now she's got a sprog with her too!"

"You know she's too caring for her own good, sir. She found the child abandoned and felt compelled to looked after it-"

"Stop defending her, Gisborne; you sound like a pathetic old woman."

"With respect, my lord, she could be useful to us. We now have one up against Hood, as well as a potential bargaining chip."

"I don't see you planning to barter her for anything,"

"Hood wouldn't care if he didn't know that. He'd do anything to try to get her back. And he'd make rash decisions and mistakes that _we _can use to get at him."

"And what about the leper? How do you know she's not making it all up, and plotting to stab you in your bed later?"

"She won't," Guy said adamantly. "She doesn't remember a single thing."

"You'd better be right, or else Hood will be on us faster than you can say 'Shah Mat'."

"Speaking of Hood, there was some talk among the lower guards that Robin Hood has returned. I thought it best to retreat to a better fortified location should he plan to attack Locksley."

"So there was a possibility that Hood could have known I was returning," glowered the Sheriff. "Why did I not know this before?"

"The threat was minimal my lord," placated Guy. "And he would have been-"

"But it was still a possible threat, wasn't it?" accused the Sheriff, rounding on Guy. "A threat which _you_ failed to tell me about. Whose side are you on, Gisborne? Hmm?"

Inwardly, Guy sighed wearily. "Yours, my lord."

"Then start acting like it!" roared the Sheriff.

In the ensuing silence, Guy contemplated his next words. The Sheriff noticed his unrest. "_What_ is it now, Gisborne?" he snapped.

"Apparently, Robin Hood is saying he want to kill me..."

The Sheriff scoffed. "Well that's no surprise."

"...for killing his wife."

"His wife?!" exclaimed the Sheriff incredulously. "Dear me, Gisborne..." he mocked, "...it appears that the Maid Marian does not live up to her virtuous reputation. Are you sure the sprog isn't hers and Hoodie's?"

Guy wanted to throttle him. _How dare he?! _He said nothing.

"You say she knows nothing of her past?" continued Vaisey.

"Nothing whatsoever, my lord."

"Well, if she cannot remember," he contemplated, "then who is to say the wedding ever took place? Just wed her, bed her and be done with it, before she can do anything!"

Once again, Guy cringed at the Sheriff's crude remarks. Perhaps two years ago, he would have been tempted to do exactly that, but he knew now that forcing her to marry him hadn't worked the last time. This time, he would be the perfect gentleman.

"She's sceptical enough as it is," he cautioned, choosing his words with care. "If I do that then she won't be any help to us at all."

Bored of the conversation now, Vaisey yawned extravagantly. "Yes, yes, do what you want with her. But keep her _away_ from me!" He waved

"And next time tell me if Hood and his other tree-huggers pose a threat to me, or I'll send your head to them myself!" He dismissed his master-at-arms with an ostentatious gesture, calling out to him as he headed towards the door. "And don't forget dinner!"

***

As soon as Guy had left and she had laid the sleeping baby to rest on her bed, Marian slipped out to talk to Nicholas.

"He trusts you," Marian remarked. "We can use that to our advantage."

"We can't let him get suspicious though," Nicholas added. "But at least communication will not be a problem; something tells me I'm going to be assigned as your bodyguard..."

"I'd rather you than any of the usual goons knocking about."

"Are you calling me a goon?" he asked, pretending to be offended. She smiled. She liked Nicholas; there was something about him that put her at ease, and it was comforting to know that she had at least him in the castle with her, despite her insistences to Robin that she could do this alone. And, she reasoned, Nicholas could easily be the go-between of messages between herself and Robin.

"Anyway," Nicholas continued, interrupting her thoughts. "How long do you think we will be here for?"

The sudden question called for a sudden answer, and she said exactly what came into her head.

"I don't know, Nicholas. I really don't know."

---

**Am not particularly pleased with this chapter, but I really needed to get **_**something **_**out after all this time. A 'nice' Vaisey is pretty impossible...**

**I don't know if anyone is still reading this, but if you are, please do leave a review. Even if it's just to say that you haven't yet given up on my lack of updating (or to prompt me to update!), it'd be greatly appreciated. I promise I have **_**not**_** forgotten about this fic at all, I'm just finding it much harder to write than I used to. Knowing that people are still reading **_**will **_**make me write faster =)**

**x Nia**


	16. Tedium, Toddlers and Towers

**Chapter 16 – Tedium, Toddlers and Towers**

"Two weeks, Marian. It's been two _weeks_."

She could tell by his tone of voice that even the impeccably patient Nicholas was feeling agitated by now.

"I told Robin 'as long as it takes'," Marian reminded him. "And that means exactly that; _as long as it takes._"

"I think Robin might be regretting agreeing to that-"

"He knew perfectly well what that meant when he let me come," snapped Marian. _Not that I needed his permission, _she reiterated internally. "I have hardly seen Guy all this time, let alone had enough evidence to piece together to make my judgement on whether I think he deserves justice and a chance against a court, or not, and be will doomed to be condemned immediately! I have a man's _life _in my hands; why can you not all just accept that?!"

"We are trying," Nicholas placated, putting a hand out gently to her arm in an attempt to calm her. "None of us are undecided like you are; Robin especially is still finding it hard to get his head around the fact that you _might _be defending Gisborne."

"With emphasis on _'might',_" insisted Marian. "I cannot pass judgement when I am unsure of the evidence."

"You do realise that even if you do stay longer, that this might only just continue. You will just be a trophy to him-"

Marian shook his hand off her arm angrily. "Well I have no intention of staying and becoming his 'trophy'," she interjected, "so there is no danger there-"

"Then what have you been doing all this time?!" exclaimed Nicholas.

***

If truth be told, not much.

The first couple of days had been frantic, with Marian making every attempt to track down the baby's mother, all the while being hindered by Guy's request that she did not reveal her presence to _anyone _there. Instead she had, by means of a chain of command from herself to Nicholas to another guard, sent out for any information regarding a lost child, which had so far proven useless. It was becoming increasingly evident that the chances of finding the baby's mother, or indeed any its family, was slim.

Nevertheless, Marian remained optimistic, and meanwhile continued to care for the baby as if it were her own. She had named her Ellie for the time being, as it was the closet English variant of Aliah that she could think of, and had spent much of her days so far in the castle idly entertaining her. Much to Nicholas' amusement, she soon took to humming soft melodies to the baby, and then progressed to singing lullabies when she was sure that there was no-one else around.

Apart from that, her life here had pretty much been synonymous with her previous life, before she had gone to the Holy Land. With one exception; now she didn't even have the distractions of Robin's frequent and dangerous, yet very welcome, exploits within the castle, nor did she have the escape of the Nightwatchman. She longed for the open expanses of fields and forest, to be able to run and fall and flee from guards, to sit out at night under the stars and listen to the world as it slept.

Instead, she reverted to the part of her she had so often hated. Once again, she had to do as was expected of her as a noblewoman (which 'Rose' had by now accepted she was). Unfortunately for Marian, this meant constant monotony and boredom; a repetitive cycle of chapel visits, meals, and embroidery. From time to time there came the welcome relief of Ellie waking up and demanding attention from her, and now she was even longing for the visits to the chapel she increasingly frequently undertook, but for the most part, she was bored stiff. Particularly of the piece of embroidery craving her attention.

It was a small piece, and realistically should not take more than a day, but with no conviction for Marian to actually get on with it, the little piece of cloth lay neglected on a table, its pattern of small birds barely started. Marian eyed the material with disdain – she had never liked embroidery, except when it gave her an excuse to supposedly lock herself in her room in the evenings at Knighton Hall, while she actually did her rounds as the Nightwatchman. Other than that, she detested the pastime, and now that it was being forced upon her in the monotony of castle life, and her supposed obligations as a noble woman, she loathed it even more. However, she had some gratification in the thought behind what she supposedly was stitching; the pattern of birds, although not of robins – that would have been far too obvious – but of small hedgerow birds, was enough of a feeling of comeuppance against Gisborne to mean that she didn't toss the cloth out of the window.

That was if she could have even opened the window to begin with. At Guy's request, it had been boarded over with heavy wooden slats. It didn't keep the sunlight out very much, but, he argued, it stopped anyone from seeing in. Not that there was much for anyone to see, as her room was towards the very top of one of the towers of the castle. When challenged about this, Guy merely insisted that it was for her safety – that he could not have people seeing her spreading the news that she was alive, for fear of the news reaching the man who had supposedly stabbed her. Even after two weeks, she still couldn't figure out what he meant by this 'heinous man'.

***

Making a mental note to ask Guy about him once and for all, Marian returned to her conversation with Nicholas.

"Marian, you surely must understand what this looks like from the outside," he insisted. "You have voluntarily walked straight into Gisborne's arms-" She scoffed. "-and are now continuously drawing out your stay here with no justification. What for unless you do have plans after all to become his 'trophy'?'

"I have my reasons for that," she murmured, reluctant to divulge any more.

"Ones which you have not shared with us," noted Nicholas.

"They are private-" she began, but was abruptly cut short.

"So private that you do not even reveal them even to Robin?" he challenged. "I wonder, why is that? I hardly think that he could be in any danger if he knew. Or maybe do you have some ulterior motive for not telling. Perhaps some ulterior motive for coming here...?"

They were face to face now, both fuming, neither planning on backing down. Marian glared up at him.

"Firstly, don't you dare to presume my loyalty to Robin," she uttered darkly, a hint of frustrated malice seeping into her words. "I have proved to everyone my loyalty a thousand times, and a thousand times more in _undermining Gisborne._ Perhaps you forget that I was nearly _killed_ by Gisborne's blade in saving the king, and nearly killed again by his hand a year before."

"Then why are you defending him?!" exclaimed Nicholas incredulously.

"I haven't decided if I am defending him yet!" she retorted loudly, the both of them barely remembering not only how easily sound carried through the castle, but also that there was a sleeping child in the room. "I have a man's _life_ in my hands; I will not be tortured in my mind for the rest of my life for making an irreversible decision. Robin knows my reasoning, and he trusts me, so why can you not do the same? Is it because I am a woman, and so you think that like all pathetic and mooning maidens, I will be helplessly _'stirred' _by Guy?" Her use of the word was, however, lost on Nicholas, who was unaware of how Robin had tried to use it against her all that time ago.

"It is a possibility," he said simply, eyes narrowed. "From what I have seen, no woman is entirely unturned by him."

"Then secondly, if you knew me _at all_, you would know I am _not_ like other women. I do not cry out in fright at the sight of a meat knife, I do not get scared of the slightest of spiders, my head is filled with more than just fancy ribbons and flouncy embroidery, and I do _not _lust after Guy of Gisborne!" Before Nicholas could challenge her any further, she launched herself even further. "Plus, you forget that I am _married _to Robin. I love him absolutely, or I would not have said 'I do' all those months ago in the Holy Land, or left Guy at the altar."

"And yet even Robin does not know everything about you."

Nicholas realised after her had said it that his words were a mistake. He knew he had no right to pry into Robin and Marian's relationship, but years with constant threats at him back had left him over-cautious, even to a degree of paranoia, and he did not like not knowing things. Nevertheless, he had said it now, and he braced himself for Marian's furious reply. He was not disappointed.

"He does not need to!" she raged. "It is _my_ life, and _I_ am the one who will control it."

"Not according to the law. _To serve and to obey_, isn't it?"

"Not where we are concerned," she argued. "I never vowed to 'obey'. Like I said, I'm not like other women. And our marriage isn't like other marriages; we are equals, not master and subordinate. We hold equal trust and respect for each others' decisions, and I am under no obligation to obey his every command if I do not wish so."

"There is a lot you do not know about the world," he said softly. He had seen enough marriages in his time to understand how they worked. Even if a man saw his wife as his equal, society certainly didn't. He ought to know; he had loved and cherished his wife, and had never thought of her as anything less than an equal, or even better than himself, but that hadn't stopped the disapproving looks and voices of the town when Joanne even went to get bread on her own accord.

Marian's now quietened tone brought him back. "There is a lot you do not know about me," she countered, "but that doesn't make it any less true. There are just some things that are private and I do not speak about them. Everyone has their secrets, Nicholas. Is it so wrong of me to want to keep things that are private a secret?"

Nicholas exhaled slowly. "I understand," he acquiesced. "Deep down, I do understand. It's just, when you've spent so long fighting to protect the king, you become unfeasibly loyal – perhaps to a ridiculous extent – and like me, you become narrow minded with anything concerning him."

She nodded in acknowledgement, understanding, and then surprised him with a question. "What was is like? The war? And why did you go?"

He looked surprised, but it was something she had wanted to know the answer to for a while, but she didn't want to ask Robin; she didn't want his nightmares to resurface by him telling, only to be able to understand him better.

"The war?" Nicholas searched for the words to explain.

"Do not try to soften the blow," Marian insisted, remembering Much's feeble attempts to pass off aggrandised missions or dismissive nonchalance as the norm. "I am not weak; I do not need some watered-down recount of heroics."

At this Nicholas smiled wryly. "Believe me, Marian, you are the last person on this earth that I would call weak; man _or_ woman." The side of her mouth twitched with a hint of a proud smile. Nicholas took a deep breath before continuing. "War is war," he stated simply. "I am not going to justify it; it is death and blood and killing. It's kill or be killed yourself. I never fell for the idea that Saracens are heretics and need to be destroyed; they are a peaceful people who just want to live their lives very much the same way we do, without violence, so should it really matter that they follow a different religion? I didn't go to war to try to drive them from their homes, or punish them for not being Christian, and neither am I some crazed fanatic who delights in killing people. I simply owed a debt that needed repaying."

"And you feel you have now repaid that debt? That is why you have come home?" asked Marian.

"In my eyes," he replied, "I will never have repaid that debt. Not for so long as I live."

"Then why have you come home?"

"Because the same man to whom I owe that debt was the one who ordered me to bring you back to England."

Marian's brow furrowed slightly for a moment.

"The king?" she enquired.

Nicholas nodded in assent. "The king. My father was the servant of one of his father's advisors, and I grew up in the old king's court, at the same time as the now king Richard grew up. I'm only a few years older than he is."

"Why do you feel indebted to him?"

"He saved my life," came the simple answer. "We were in France, near Aquitaine, because some of the nobles there were revolting against King Henry, supported by his own son, Richard's brother, Henry." He paused for a moment. "You might not remember it," he noted. "You would have only been a young girl at the time." Another pause, in which Marian kept silent. He was right, she didn't remember much about this time, but she wanted to hear the rest of what Nicholas was going to say. "Anyway," he continued, "there was a battle, and I was injured. Richard had given the call to retreat, but I couldn't move. I remember lying there, thinking I was going to die. But he came back for me; he came back for his squire, even though he put his own life in danger in doing so."

Marian couldn't fail to notice the adoring loyalty in Nicholas' voice as he recounted his narrow escape. It was clear to her just how much he felt indebted to his king. "And he saved you," she finished for him simply.

"He did." Nicholas dipped his head at her in agreement. Now she understood. "I think I had better wait outside again," he said suddenly. "It might look a bit odd for you to invite your guard into your room; we wouldn't want the castle to gossip..."

Marian rolled her eyes at his feeble attempts to make a joke, and playfully shoved him out into the draughty corridor. She enjoyed Nicholas' company immensely, particularly during the hours of tedium here in the castle; despite the age difference between them, he was very much an older brother figure to her, complete with arguments, playful banter, and teasing. Their conversations together were a most welcome break.

***

Shortly after though, she was glad that he had departed her company, as within a few minutes of him leaving her room, there came an urgent knock on her door. Expecting it to be the maid that she had been assigned, she called out "Come in!" warmly, and stood up to greet the girl.

Instead though, it was Guy, bringing with him a tense atmosphere that barely concealed mild panic. His eyes swept around the room, taking in everything before settling on Marian, and then he visibly relaxed. He pushed the door wide open and stepped across the threshold.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice betraying the uncertainty that remained. "Your maid told me she heard shouting."

Marian did not let her relief that he himself had not heard her earlier argument with Nicholas show, and she stepped towards him. "I am fine," she said, her hand on his arm as a gesture of reassurance, and also to distract him as her eyes darted around the room, searching for inspiration for an excuse. Her gaze fell on the unfinished embroidery discarded on the chair. "A bird had flown into my room and we had trouble getting it out again."

"We?" asked Guy cautiously.

"Myself and your sergeant," she explained. "Samuel, isn't it?"

Guy nodded absently. "Hmm. Good man, him."

"Not like all the other guards you have skulking around the castle."

Marian's tone caught his attention, and he looked at her sharply, noticing properly how dejected she looked – even unwell – despite the slight flush to her cheeks from her sparring with Nicholas.

Not that Guy knew about that.

"Marian, are you alright?" he asked. She did not even bother now to act uncomfortable when he used her real name; 'Rose' had by now accepted who she was.

"I am not ill, if that is what you mean," she replied.

"Then why do you look so off-colour?"

She was surprised he had even noticed. "I am fed up of the same four walls," she said bluntly. He flinched at the sudden accusation in her manner.

"You have been out of this room," he disputed.

"Hardly!" she insisted indignantly, her temper flaring up again. "And even if I have, it is only to the sight of the Great Hall, or the chapel. And all the while I am surrounded by guards, and have to wear a veil to shield my face."

"It is for your safety, Marian," he insisted. "It is for your benefit."

She had heard this argument one too many times.

"What, and not yours?" she snapped icily.

Guy stood taller, defensively. "You do not believe me?" he challenged.

"I don't know what to believe!" she replied, throwing her hands up in exasperation. She was finally letting loose her frustration at being cooped up in the castle, and not able to advance on her plans. "I feel like I have done something wrong," she continued. "It's like I am a criminal..."

"You have done nothing-" Guy began to insist impatiently, but was immediately cut off by the fuming Marian.

"Then why must I be treated like this?"

"It is for your safety, Marian. Please just trust me."

She exploded. "Trust you?!" she spat out. "Why should I do that!?"

"I saved your life!" They were both shouting now, both livid. "And that's just to start with!"

"So you say," she uttered darkly, glaring at him. "Do you have any evidence?" She began circling him, putting him on the spot. "Any witnesses? Anyone to corroborate this claim?" She stopped her pacing, ending up right in front of him. "Or," she continued in indictment, "more importantly, should I be asking why I have not been allowed to speak to them – to anybody?" She didn't let him fight back. "Because I am kept here," she uttered viciously, spitting out the words, "almost under lock and key, with no-one except you, your sergeant, and a maid to talk to. So forgive me for thinking that there are ulterior motives for keeping me here, but what _else_ am I to believe?!"

She regretted her outburst the second the words left her lips. In silent fury, Guy left, slamming the heavy wooden door behind him. Marian sat down on her bed, her head in her hands. She had just ruined any chances she might have of figuring Guy out, and had just backtracked down the fragile weeks she had spent trying to do just that.

Internally, she berated herself for letting her temper getting the better of her. She ignored the side of her that told her she had every right to be angry about her almost-imprisonment; she was, after all, here by her own wish.

Her head fell into her hands and she sighed in realisation. There was only one thing she could do to try to get back on track.

Apologise.

***

Whenever he knocked on the Sheriff's door, Guy always felt like a child again. Well, a young man anyway. It brought him back to the days when he had first met Vaisey – when he had first become indoctrinated and entrapped by him. But even with this realisation, even with resentment for the man now thrown into the fray, Guy he was still powerless to resist the calls of the man; power, wealth, gratitude. Yes, still he felt grateful to the man, despite everything.

And, still, he needed him.

"Enter!" barked the Sheriff, and not for the first time, and nowhere near the last, Guy obeyed. He pushed the door open, and strode into the room. Vaisey, now satisfied that Guy could wait a bit, resumed what he had been doing before – eating. Guy took a seat by one of the walls, and looked about the room.

Here, not the Great Hall, was the centre of power in Nottinghamshire. This was where all the decision were made now, in the lavish and ostentatious rooms of 'Lord Vaisey'. The orders might not go directly from his mouth to the people now, but he was still very much in charge. Now though, there was just one more step in the mixture; the 'puppet' Sheriff, Thomas of Worcester. And the latter spent most of his time in a drunken stupor anyway.

As Guy heard the clatter of a knife against a platter that indicated that he would shortly be addressed, he noted that, in spite of the months that had passed, the power of the country hadn't shifted much at all; just to a smaller room in a now even more foreboding castle.

"What is it, Gisborne?" Vaisey's bored words were short, sharp, and to the point. There was no time for contemplating buildings.

"My lord," began Guy. "I think she knows."

His words didn't have the desired effect. Vaisey looked at Guy over the rim of his goblet, irritated that he hadn't been given a full explanation. "Who knows what?" he snapped.

"Marian. I think she's starting to guess at why she can't leave the castle."

Now Guy had his master's full attention. The Sheriff (because, to all intents and purposes, he still was) sat up almost eagerly; he did love a challenge. "Well now," he replied, rubbing his hands together, "we can't have that now, can we?" He smirked at his Master at Arms. "She's your leper, Gisborne, not mine."

"She's _our _bargaining chip against Hood," Guy protested angrily.

"But you're the one who insists on her well-being," the Sheriff replied dangerously. "Think, Gizzy – what could happen to her at my command? It's only you and your pathetic moping about the girl that's between her and the rats in the dungeons."

Realising he was well and truly beaten, Guy let himself out of the room. He was on his own then.

***

**A/N:** This chapter was a pain in the arse to write, and unfortunately I seem to have lapsed back into the habit of parenthesising. Sorry about that. Also sorry (once again) for the delay in posting; I meant to get this chapter up before I went away but I just couldn't get my head around it. Hopefully it doesn't feel too rushed because I tried to get a lot into it.

Huuuge thank you for all the very encouraging reviews, and a special shout-out to Dinny93 for being the 100th reviewer. Also, a massive thankyou to TheSingingGirl for pointing out that I had over 100 reviews and for all her continuous help plot- and idea-wise (even though you still won't convert me! =P).

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that I will be able to update this for a couple of months, as I have the exam load from hell rapidly approaching, and I have basically no study leave. And then I have about a month's worth of exams. Realistically, I don't think I'll be able to update again before my exams in June =(

But put the fic on alert, and you never know! I might find snippets of time before then! *crosses fingers*

xxx

Nia

P.S. Please review!


	17. All I Ask Of You

**Disclaimer:** Chapter title is not mine – it's from the song from The Phantom of the Opera. I don't own anything you recognise from the series, but I do own Nicholas, Ellie and this plot. I make no profit etc. from writing this (unless you count personal gratification as 'profit').

---

**Chapter 17 – All I Ask of You**

Before he could try to sort out anything, Guy was quickly accosted by a veiled figure. He was pleased to see that Marian at least did as he asked of her in this matter.

"I wish to apologise for my outburst, Sir Guy," she said. "You have been nothing if not kind and generous to me, and I was ungrateful."

"No, you were right," he replied, as he ushered her into a small antechamber where they would not be interrupted. "I have been too paranoid in your protection. And trust works two ways."

Marian was astounded; was he actually giving in? "So you will drop the guards?" she pressed.

He dropped his stance slightly, sighing in exasperation. "_Marian_..." He drew out her name, conveying his irritation that she was pressing the matter.

She cut off any persuasion he was about to try. "I left the abbey because I felt trapped, Sir Guy," she hissed. "But if anything, I feel even more trapped here! I am followed everywhere I go by soldiers – even in the _chapel_. I cannot even _pray_ without guards on all four walls, and lining each and every pew! It is suffocating!" She broke off from her pleas, taking a moment to calm down. Her temper would not take control of her again. "I ask for only one hour outside the castle," she continued. "Just _one hour_ without guards."

"I cannot allow that," he breathed. He seemed to be genuinely apologetic about it, but that wasn't going to sway Marian.

"Then let me leave," she stated simply. "For good." His eyes shot up. "I will go back to the abbey, and if they cannot find somewhere else for me to go, I will join them permanently." _Last chance, Guy, _she thought.

His forehead creased. "I cannot let you leave," he said in a low voice. It was devoid of the threatening tone she had once associated with him; now he just sounded sorrowful, but still determined. "I promised your father I would look after you."

That was another of his arguments; that, before Marian had been 'taken', while her father was still alive, he had asked one thing of Guy. That he look after his daughter, and see that she came to no harm. It was genius, Marian contemplated, because she (allegedly) had no way of remembering her father, and yet every daughter had a weak-spot for their old man.

But Guy wasn't going to convince her this time.

"If my father was half the man you make him out to be," she countered, "then he would rather I _were_ a nun than I stayed here for the rest of my life."

He tried again. This time, it was more personal. "I _cannot_ lose you again."

Again, it didn't work, but she did soften slightly. "If you keep me in the shadows," she murmured, "then you will already have lost me." Her eyes met his, and for several long moments they stayed there like that, until she tore her gaze away, and stepped apart from him. "I will go back," she said again.

Guy suddenly turned defensive. "And what would I say?" he said loudly. "How would that make me look?"

Marian stared at him, open-mouthed in incredularity. "Your _reputation_?!" she exclaimed. "Is that all you care about?" She shook her head in disbelief, and then continued scornfully, "Seeing as you are so bent on protecting your precious reputation, you can tell anyone you care to tell that I am a failed novice who came to find work in Nottingham. That is all I knew before I came, and all anyone ever need know once I am gone. If there is actually anyone else that even knows I am here, because God knows I've not seen anyone!"

Guy stepped towards her. "I didn't mean it like that," he said. _I don't know what I meant. _"I want you to stay, Marian. I _need_ you to stay." She hadn't expected that. She stayed silent, in the hope that he would elaborate. "Before I met you..." he trailed off, unable to voice what was past. "You made me better," he said instead. "Please, stay. Make this place bearable." He was repeating the words that had made her stay before, in blind hope that they would work again.

She shook her head. "While the guards remain, I cannot."

"I have to look after you." He was blind to her protests. He was desperate. "There's no other way of ensuring that..." He studied her curiously for a while. "Marry me," he suddenly said. "As my wife, you would have protection."

"I do not need protecting!" She was stunned that he would even try to use that excuse again. "If I see another guard-"

"No." He was quick to counter her. "Not guards; protection by status. I am a reputable man, Marian. You have no parents, no male relatives."

"I am a grown woman," she persisted. "I can look after myself. I do not need to marry for that. And as for status, I have a title, do I not? Surely I inherited my father's lands?"

"You father's lands were devastated by the man that kidnapped you. They are worthless, and even if they were not, you're father left no will. You are a woman, so the lands cannot automatically pass to you. They are the property of the King."

"Am I not under King Richard's charge then?"

"Yes, but he is away in the Holy Land, and thus cannot protect you, or provide for you. I can."

"And I suppose that should be enough for me to marry a stranger then?"

"I'm not a stranger-"

"You are to me!" she cried. "You forget that, however long we may have known each other, for me it has been only two weeks. And I have barely spoken to you in all that time. I do not know you, Sir Guy. So I cannot marry you."

Guy was pleased that their short acquaintance seemed to be the only reason for her holding back.

"And in time?" he asked hopefully.

"I prefer to think in the present," she deadpanned. Internally, his face fell. Still, Marian was relentless. "And right now, that includes the relentless guards."

"What else would you have me do?" he asked.

Now was Marian's opportunity. "Just have your goons back off for a day," she resolutely repeated.

"For one day?" Guy was seeing the benefits of this, and weighed them up against the risks. _Surely one day could not be so bad?_

"Yes. I will even wear this ridiculous veil if you wish, and you can come with me, seeing as you are so bent on 'protecting me'." Despite her supposed compromise, the last word was uttered with barely-disguised malice.

"Very well," he conceded. "I will do my best to sort that out."

"As soon as possible," she added.

"I will try."

She shook her head slowly, "I'm sorry, Sir Guy, but 'I will try' is not enough anymore. Two weeks is too long to be cooped up in a handful of rooms. I need you to give me your word."

He hesitated for a moment. "Very well," he eventually said. Marian visibly relaxed. "As long as you stop calling me 'Sir Guy'."

She frowned, confused.

"But, I thought-"

"Just Guy is fine," he insisted.

"Alright then," she nodded. "I will. '_Just_ Guy'."

She couldn't resist it, and the smile she elicited from him lightened the formerly severe atmosphere of the room. She looked up at him, her face a picture of innocence.

"Come on." He tugged at her arm gently. "There's something I want to show you."

His gentle tone didn't completely keep her wariness at bay. "What about Ellie?" she asked hesitantly.

"Ellie?" She hadn't told him she'd named the child.

"The baby," she explained. "I left her with my maid, but I said I wouldn't be gone long."

"We can stop at your rooms on the way," he offered, and held the door open for her. She replaced her veil, which had become dislodged and fallen around her neck during their earlier dispute, and allowed herself to be quietly shepherded back through the darkened corridors.

---

**A/N:** Less parenthesising? (I certainly hope so! =P) Sorry it's fairly short, but hey, you got an update when I said it was most unlikely! =D Blame my slip up in revision. Not good considering I only really started today...

Therefore, I will once again say bye until July, to insure against all eventualities. (But that's not to say I definitely won't have another lapse in concentration...)

xxx

Nia


	18. Twists and Turns

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything you recognise from the series. The description of the inside of the castle was inspired by the incredible interior of the abbey of Mont St. Michel in France (give or take a bit of artistic license.)

Recap thus far: _Marian has returned from the Holy Land alive and well (see TDDUP) with Will, Djaq and a new character called Nicholas (a former member of the King's Private Guard). Having been reunited with the gang, in their new camp, Marian comes up with a plan to find out if Guy really did show remorse for 'killing her' as she suspects, or if he really is set in his ways and deserves no mercy when the king returns. Unfortunately for Robin, this plan involved Marian going to Nottingham, pretending to have lost her memory, and seeing what Gisborne will do with this final chance. Two weeks later and Marian's still there, still having not made up her mind, and getting more confused by the day over which side Guy will take._

**Chapter 18 – "Twists and Turns"**

"I don't like surprises, Guy," Marian muttered, her voice echoing slightly in the small corridor they were hurrying down.

"You'll like this one," he assured her, pleased that she seemed to have no qualms about using his Christian name. It certainly was a step in the right direction.

As they hastened along a maze of stone, having briefly paused at Marian's room to inform the maid of their extended departure, Marian started to recognise more and more of the path they were taking through the castle. She had traced this exact path many a time before when she was younger and living in the castle, during her father's days as Sheriff.

They passed the little alcove in the wall where she had once stubbornly sat for hours on end, refusing to come down to the Great Hall for dinner until her father apologised for forgetting to give her a good-morning kiss. They ducked under the low arched doorway which she would so helpfully warn visitors to the castle about, so they would not crack their heads on the stone. They dropped down a couple of steps into a small, low-ceilinged room which had once played host to a low wooden bench, on which she had sat on her father's knee as a small child, while he bounced her up and down an pretended that she was on a ship in the middle of a stormy sea. It was a route she could have followed blindfolded.

In fact, it was a route she _had_ followed blindfolded, albeit led by the hand of her father.

Robin never could find her when he challenged her to games of hide and seek; he held nothing against her knowledge of the castle's most intimate secrets. It had been her playground, and her knowledge of the hidden passages, tucked away chambers, concealed entrances and secret staircases bespoke her childhood triumphs in exploring every last floor-stone of her palace, her own territory which she never wished to share with anyone.

Now though, instead of the thrill she used to have at hiding away from the rest of the world, she was experiencing an all together different rush of emotions, almost like a blow to the stomach. For Marian, it seemed like Guy was invading the small piece of the castle that had been exclusively hers and her father's, their place to come to when they wanted some time away from the politics of being Sheriff and the Sheriff's daughter, a place to mourn, to rejoice, or simply to talk, and she wanted nothing more than to force Guy to turn back, and let her continue alone. In truth, she might have let slip a revealing tear had it not been for the constant reminder of Guy's presence made clear by the slight pressure of his hand at the small of her back, gently urging her up the spiral stairs that led to the place she had so often come to when she was younger.

She tried to ascend faster, so as to lose Guy behind her, but he, loathe to lose the comforting feel of her body, never even faltered in keeping pace, and in keeping contact with her. She tried to slow down, to deter his ascent to her sanctuary, but she felt his hand press even more keenly against her.

When they reached the top stair, Guy reached for the collection of keys at his belt, the material of his loose shirt rippling slightly, freed first by the undoing of the customary constricting leather, and second by the motion of his climb up the steep staircase. Marian eyed the key he extracted from the loop with barely disguised anger. There had only ever been one key to this heavy wooden door, and it had been hidden, tucked behind a loose stone in the wall of her father's bedchamber – a room, she now remembered, that had since fallen to Guy himself, with Vaisey favouring the extravagant best chamber that Edward had so despised and eschewed for its opulence. It seemed to Marian that not _only_ had Guy commandeered this refuge of hers, but he had destroyed the privacy of all her old cubbyholes and niches as well.

Her anger subsided a little once the door was flung open; she never could resist the magnificent view this tiny turret platform afforded of the town below, of the fields outside the walls, and of Sherwood Forest framing the background. And she was even more transfixed by its beauty in the gently setting sun, blanketing the space in its warm sheen and softening the landscape in the golden light. She exhaled a wistful sigh, reaching up to cast off the veil that obscured her face, and then sank down onto the floor, her legs tucked under her like a child.

Not a moment later, Guy removed his sword from his belt and placed it on the floor for ease of movement, and then knelt down next to her. He followed her mesmerised gaze through the gap in the wall of the platform, out towards the horizon, before snapping back to her face. She seemed more relaxed up here in the sunset, he observed – more free and untroubled than he had really seen her since her return – and he wondered whether he should be pleased or troubled by this realisation.

Guy was saved from answering his own internal question by the sound of Marian's voice, soft and thoughtful as she continued to survey the scene in front of her.

"I think this castle must have been beautiful once," she half-whispered. "Before the Sheriff was here."

"The Sheriff?" Guy was surprised; Marian wasn't supposed to know that Vaisey had been the Sheriff of Nottingham! As far as she was concerned, he was simply Guy's master.

Marian realised the slip of the tongue she had made, and hurried to cover up her mistake. "Well, yes, Thomas of Worcester," she said innocently, praising her memory. "He _is_ the Sheriff, is he not?"

Guy, placated by her apparent ignorance of the fact that _Vaisey_ was in fact the Sheriff, not Worcester, did not notice her eyeing him carefully, watching his reaction. "Of course he is," he murmured, hurriedly returning his gaze back over the battlements. "But what makes you say that about the castle?"

"I just do not see this as a place of beauty," she sighed wistfully, remembering the days when it _had_ been – the days of her father. "I think it _was_ once, with glowing fires to keep it warm rather than the chill of cold stone, laughter to be heard down the passages instead of silent footsteps, and friends and loved ones to be found rather than guards." She trailed off, not wanting to continue for fear of becoming upset in her nostalgia, and looked back at Guy with a defiant glare. "Now it is just a show of strength and might," she said harshly.

He leaned towards her slightly. "Can that not be beautiful too?" he asked. "Can you not find beauty in the strength of such a structure, reflecting the power and the position that it-"

"To hell with power and position!" she exclaimed furiously. "I do not care for that! If power and domination over the people brings them only suffering and pain, then how _can_ it be a thing of beauty! Something to admire?"

She had not intended to become so angry, to produce such an outburst, but her indignation over his words bubbled over too rapidly for her to force it down.

"Marian..."

"I am sorry, Guy, I did not mean..." But of course, she did. "I only meant to say..." She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, weighing up her words. "I just think there is more to life that wealth and power. But perhaps you cannot see that from where you are standing."

She looked away again and was silent, staring out over the amber fields. Guy considered his response for a while, but he was disturbed before he could reply.

It was testament to his frequent proximity to Vaisey that he didn't jump when he felt a pressure on his shoulder. Being long accustomed to the odious man meant he had become used to a sudden clap of a hand on his shoulder, or a face too close next to his own, and it was this now that allowed him not to jump in surprise, and thus startle the sleeping woman now using his shoulder as a pillow.

She was so close he could make out her individual eyelashes, and see the single strand of her hair that was caught under one of them. Gently raising his hand to her temple, he swept her hair out of her eyes, and tucked it behind her ear, twisting awkwardly in order to do so, and running his finger down her long curls as he pulled his hand away again.

Contented in this quiet bliss to let sleep, he cast his mind back to three evenings ago.

_He ought to have knocked, waited for a response, and then entered when bidden, but he was in too much of a hurry. Gripping firmly in one hand the precious cargo, he burst open the door with another._

"_Mar-!" he began loudly, cutting off as soon as he beheld the scene in front of him. Marian was fast asleep, half-sitting, half-lying down in the chair by the fireside. She had evidently been trying to settle the baby – Ellie, wasn't it? – down to sleep, because she still held the child in her arms._

_Seeing her there holding the little baby close was such a beautiful image. He had dreamed of similar, of coming home to find her waiting up for him. He would sneak up behind her and put his arms around her waist, sweep her hair to one side and plant a kiss on her neck, and then take their child from her arms and gaze at the little marvel. His raven hair, her stormy eyes. _Their child.

_The image in front of him, bathed in the soft light of the fire may not have been as perfect, but at least it wouldn't be interrupted by his constant nightmare of the white dress in the Holy Land, smothered in scarlet blood. If only they could be back at Locksley, where there were no blue and grey pennants hanging from the wall, no echoes of the metal footsteps of patrolling guards, and it would trump even the picturesque beauty of his dream._

_Suddenly sensing a sharp pain where he been clenching his hand too tightly, he opened his fist to reveal what he had been holding. Had the Sheriff seen it, he would have been called all manner of names ('weak' and 'soft' being the first two that came to mind), but Guy could have endured this a hundred times over if he got the reaction he desired on Marian's face. He looked down at the gold bracelet in his hand. The similarity between the leaf-shapes of the bracelet links and the leaf engravings on the locket she never took off was no coincidence; he had commissioned the bracelet that way, painstakingly drawing out the design as best as he could before sending a servant to the goldsmiths of London._

_And now the servant had returned. And he was ready to give Marian the gift._

_Looking once more at the bracelet, Guy was struck by a sudden thought. Suppose Marian did not take it as a peace offering and sign of friendship after what she called her 'incarceration' in the castle? Suppose she just saw it as a means for Guy to trap her further into staying?_

_Seeing the baby stir out of the corner of his eye, Guy put the bracelet in his pocket, to save for another time, and made his way over to her chair. Ellie pawed sleepily at Marian's hair, catching a loose curl with her balled up fist. Guy leaned over, careful not to jostle the barely-sleeping child, and disentangle the strands from her tiny fingers._

_Backing out of the room silently afterwards, he didn't remember the bracelet for another few hours, by which time the moment was gone. For the moment, at least._

Of course, given her earlier reaction about having only actually known him for two weeks, perhaps it was best that he hadn't brought up that matter after all. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away, especially given how tenuous their relationship was, and he knew that such a gift was not one to be taken lightly by either party.

But _I will keep trying_.

**A/N: To R/M fans who are getting concerned about where this fic is going, have no fear. It will return to its roots and there will be some Robin/Marian goodness to come, you will see. Eventually :D I'm just messing with the Marian/Guy aspect of the Robin/Marian/Guy love triangle in the mean time (all for plot purposes, I assure you!)**

**And now onto the apologies. Because, yes, it's been a while. For which I am truly sorry. Truth is, I kind of drifted out of the RH fandom for a while, so writing this was getting harder and more of a chore, and so less enjoyable. Am getting back into it again now though (LadyKate63, I owe you **_**muchly**_** =P) so I will try not to let it get so long before I update again. That said, I'm in my final year of school and am taking 5 A-Levels, one of which I'm teaching myself, so who knows. I'll just do my best.**

**Hope you like, and please leave a review =)**


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